During a recent geology and archaeology trip to the country, Jim Fitton, 66, of Bath, collected 12 stones and fragments of shattered crockery.
Mr Fitton has stated that he was unaware that he was infringing Iraqi legislation.
Mr Fitton’s family claimed the news had left them “totally shattered” and “heartbroken.” They pleaded with the government to assist in his release. For a man Jim’s age, 15 years in an Iraqi prison is the equivalent of death “Added the family.
“Especially for such a minor and doubtful offence, one that Jim was completely unaware of when he committed.
We have launched an appeal and will continue to fight for Jim’s release, urging the government to assist us in every way it can and to establish lines of communication with us at the highest levels.
Wera Hobhouse, a Bath Liberal Democrat MP, described the sentence as “devastating” for Jim and his family.
The Foreign Secretary now has no choice except to interfere at the ministerial level. The Foreign Secretary must communicate with Iraq’s government.
The Foreign Office has stated previously that it cannot intervene with another country’s judicial procedure.
On March 20, Mr Fitton and Volker Waldmann, a German national, were apprehended at Baghdad airport.
He was found guilty of the same accusations that Mr Fitton was.
Mr Fitton’s luggage, according to customs officers and witnesses, contained roughly a dozen stone bits, pottery pieces, and ceramics.
Mr Waldmann was accused of having two pieces, although he denied having them at the start of the trial on May 15.
Both guys, clad in yellow, assured the court that they were not guilty of “antiquities trafficking.”
When questioned why he attempted to remove the treasures from Iraq, Mr Fitton cited his “hobby” and stated that he did not intend to do anything illegal.
They were accused of “intentionally stealing or attempting to take out of Iraq an antique” under legislation passed in 2002.
Mr Fitton’s punishment seems to have taken everyone in the court by surprise, including his lawyer.
Mr Fitton’s lawyer, Thair Soud, stated, “I anticipated the worst case scenario would be one year with suspension.”
The death penalty is the maximum penalty for deleting artefacts.
The court reduced the punishment “because to the accused’s senior age,” according to the judge.
While visiting a place in Eridu, Iraq’s southeast, Mr Fitton collected the artefacts as souvenirs.
US military contractor jailed for stealing government assets worth over $150,000 in Afghanistan
The parts, which date back more than 200 years, could be designated archaeological artefacts, according to Iraqi officials.
The Foreign Office has stated that it cannot meddle with another country’s judicial process and has stated its opposition to the death sentence.
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