Iraq lodges complaints to Interpol to recover artifacts
Iraqi recovered artifacts. Photo: AP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities announced on Sunday it filed complaints to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) against some countries obstructing the recovery of smuggled Iraqi artifacts, according to the statements of the spokesperson of the ministry, Ahmed Al-Alyawi, to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
Al-Alyawi explained that the ministry recovered 17,338 artifacts during one and a half years of its plan to recover artifacts from abroad.
The Iraqi official indicated that the number of recovered artifacts is considered the biggest in the history of the General Authority of Iraqi Antiquities.
Al-Alyawi mentioned that there are several recovery operations from foreign countries registered with the ministry, noting that some of the recovered artifacts were displayed in museums and were stolen years ago, and some pieces were randomly extracted.
Al-Alyawi clarified that Iraq lodged complaints to the Interpol to put some countries under pressure to recover the smuggled artifacts.
Iraq is putting great efforts to restore its lost rich cultural heritage after it was decimated during the chaos that followed the 2003 U.S. invasion.