http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071221/ap_on_re_eu/britain_i...
Rated • 1 review • law • yahoo.com
Court reinstates Iran's claim to artifacts
Update: the article is no longer on the Yahoo server. The same article is on the ABC News.
(Ok, this is great! Would have been as fair had they overturned the recent ruling that caused the 500 BC Persepolis guard, which I have already stumbled, to be sold.)
From the page:
Fri Dec 21
LONDON - Iran won an important court ruling Friday in its bid to force an international art dealer in London to return 18 ancient artifacts that allegedly were stolen from the country's tombs.
Iran says the 18 jars, bowls and cups, which date from 3,000 B.C., come from sites in the Halil Rud valley, south of Jiroft town in the Kerman province of southeast Iran.
[...]
"This case is so important for Iran because they believe objects of this quality, being the best ones in the tombs, should be back in Iran," he said, adding that a ruling against Iran would have "a huge impact on the black market trade in antiquities."
[...]
High Court Justice Gray, ruling on two preliminary issues, dismissed the case, saying Iran had not proved ownership of the artifacts and that Iranian law was unenforceable in the English courts.
However, on Friday the Court of Appeal overturned that decision and reinstated Iran's claim.
One of its three judges, Lord Chief Justice Nicholas Phillips, said that under the provisions of Iranian law, and in particular the Legal Bill of 1979 -- which prevents unauthorized excavations and diggings of relics more than 100 years old -- Iran could show that it had obtained title to the objects, and that the English courts should recognize and enforce that title. [...]
EXCELLENT ! This should set a precedent.
UPDATE - Judicial details:
Claim to recover national heritage can go ahead
