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The choose didn’t think about the defence’s arguments that Mr Fitton was unaware he was breaking the legislation and that the gadgets weren’t precious. 

Mr Fitton’s household say they may enchantment the sentence and referred to as on the British authorities to intervene. 

“We’re fully heartbroken that our personal greatest efforts, a powerful authorized defence and fixed campaigning, have led to this consequence,” stated Mr Tasker, who’s married to Mr Fitton’s daughter Leila.

“We’re disillusioned, certainly surprised, at our personal authorities’s whole lack of motion on this case to this point. We’re elevating an enchantment and can proceed to combat for Jim’s freedom, and urge the federal government to help us in each means potential and to open traces of communication with us at a senior stage.”

In a petition that has attracted almost 290,000 signatures, the household accused the Overseas Workplace of failing to help a name for Iraq to drop the case after he initially confronted the dying penalty. 

An FCDO spokesperson stated: “We’re offering consular help to a British nationwide in Iraq, and proceed to help his household. We’re in touch with the native authorities.”

Mr Tasker beforehand advised the Telegraph that his father-in-law was a eager collector of curiosities and stated his room like “one thing out of Indiana Jones”, with “ink drawings of gorgeous structure from around the globe and bookshelves rammed with journey guides”. 

However Mr Fitton had “all the time been vastly respectful of different cultures,” and was no prison, Mr Tasker stated.

For the reason that 2003 US-led invasion, a lot of Iraq’s wealthy cultural heritage has been plundered, with untold 1000’s of things smuggled overseas. 

Islamic State militants, in addition to destroying archaeological websites in situ, have additionally funded their actions by promoting looted treasure overseas.

The Iraqi authorities has taken pains to crack down on smuggling, with indicators at Baghdad airport warning that taking antiquities overseas is prohibited.

“The Iraqis have made this clear is a really delicate difficulty for some time, and it additionally ties into wider issues about counter-terrorism financing,” stated Michael Stephens, a senior fellow on the Overseas Coverage Analysis Institute.

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