British man with family in Bath sentenced to 15 years in Iraqi jail
Jim Fitton's family say the verdict for the 66-year-old is "tantamount to a death sentence"
Last updated 6th Jun 2022
The family of a British man, who's been sentenced to 15 year's in an Iraqi jail after picking up some broken pottery in the desert, say they are "absolutely shattered" by the news.
Sixty-six year old Jim Fitton, who's daughter and son-in-law live in Bath, was arrested at Baghdad Airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle historical artefacts out of the country, when the broken pottery was found in his luggage.
Fitton collected 12 stones and shards of broken pottery as souvenirs while visiting a site in Eridu, an ancient Mesopotamian city in southern Iraq, as part of an organised geology and archaeology tour.
His family say he specifically checked when he found it if it was ok to take and was told it was worthless, adding that the case against him has been largely politically motivated.
His lawyers say they will appeal the verdict.
"For a man of Jim’s age, 15 years in an Iraqi prison is tantamount to a death sentence," a statement sent to us by son-in-law Sam Tasker, reads.
"Particularly for such a trivial and dubious crime, a crime that Jim was not even aware of when he perpetrated it."
Jim's sentence comes despite a petition calling on the UK government to help him, having been signed more than 288,000 times.
"We are completely heartbroken that our own best efforts, a strong legal defence and constant campaigning, have led to this outcome," the family statement continues.
"We are disappointed, indeed stunned, at our own government’s total lack of action in this case to date."
In the months since Jim's arrest, his family have been unable to speak to any senior member of government despite repeated requests.
The government though, insists it has been helping, by petitioning the Iraqi government against the death sentence, which was originally threatened, and by providing consular support, which included giving the family a list of English speaking lawyers in Baghdad.
"We are raising an appeal and will continue to fight for Jim’s freedom, and urge the government to support us in every way possible and to open lines of communication with us at a senior level," the family statement ends.
Speaking to us at the start of May, Sam expressed to us a fear that the Iraqi judicial system was being pressured to enforce a severe punishment in Jim's case, by Iranian backed militias in the country.
"Our understanding is that the case has been seized upon by what have been described to us by experts locally as Iranian backed and Iranian funded militia groups within Iraq, who are seizing on the case as an example of Iraqi government leniency on western travellers and, in their perception, criminals," Sam said at the time.
"If the case is politically charged in that way then do they attempt to make an example of Jim for something incredibly trivial, where previously they have shown more leniency?"
In a brief statement a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British national in Iraq, and continue to support his family.
"We are in contact with the local authorities.”
In a tweet Bath MP Wera Hobhouse has called the sentence "devastating" and called on the Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to intervene in the case.
"Jim's lawyer has immediately appealed," she writes.
"The British Government must publicly and strongly endorse this appeal."
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