British tourist is arrested for stealing historic Iraqi artifacts

It is underpinned by years of British righteousness, an assumption that what is not ours can simply be picked up, ‘collected’, claimed as our own – without consequence.

This language is what frames our museums and history books. It’s what has concealed the truth about Britain’s role in colonialism, the reality of how we acquired the objects that fill our museums, schools, and galleries.

Only now are we starting to question our rights to these objects. But change remains stagnant, and the public response to Fitton’s arrest highlights a denial to Britain’s systemic power and greed.

When Fitton’s verdict was handed down on Monday, the court was left shocked. ‘I thought the worst-case scenario would be one year, with suspension’ said Fitton’s lawyer, Thair Soud.

By taking the artifacts – which were dated to be over 200 years old – and intending to transport them out of the country, Judge Jabir Abd Jabir found Fitton had criminal intent to smuggle them.

The verdict was based on Iraq’s antiquities laws, which could potentially have been punished by the death sentence.

According to his family, the stones and pottery fragments taken by Fitton were collected as souvenirs during a group tourism expedition in Eridu, an ancient Mesopotamian site in what is now the Dhi Qar province.

There is still debate as to whether he’ll be able to serve time in the UK, given the prisoner transfer treaty between Iraq and Great Britain, and Fitton’s family anxiously await news of his well-being whilst international attention grows.

Fitton’s verdict is harrowing, and I don’t doubt that his intentions were innocent enough. But stories like these are a reminder of the censored history Britain has cultivated.

We live in a country whose lack of accountability has fostered a culture of ignorance. An ignorance that allows people like Fitton to take things that don’t belong to them under the guise of ‘academic interest’ and ‘curiosity’.

This ignorance has enabled such actions to go unpunished for so long, that when eventually facing the consequences, perpetrators believe themselves to be the victims of an unjust and corrupt legal system.

Like other countries impacted by colonialism and conflict, Iraq has recently pushed for a recovery of thousands of ancient artifacts that were plundered since the US invasion. Many of these artifacts remain in museums and personal collections across North America.

The founder of Iraqi tour operator Bil Weekend said the case highlighted the need to inform tourists about efforts to protect the country’s heritage.

‘That’s why tourists should choose the tour operator wisely!’ tweeted Ali Al Makhomzy, ‘The first thing we mention is not to pick up objects & talk about the importance of heritage protection in Iraq’.