An Iraqi court has overturned the conviction of a British geologist wrongfully imprisoned for smuggling antiquities, his lawyer has said.
Thaer Saoud said Jim Fitton’s conviction had been overturned by the Court of Cassation, adding: “My client will soon be free.”
Mr. Fitton, from Somerset, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after picking up stones and broken pottery while on tour.
The appeal against his conviction was launched more than a month ago.
The father-of-two collected the memorabilia during an organized tour in Eridu, southeastern Iraq. Iraqi officials said the artifacts could be considered archaeological pieces as they are more than 200 years old.
Mr. Fitton has repeatedly stated that he has no intention of smuggling the items and those who were on tour were told that the fragments had no economic or historical value.
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He and German tourist Volker Waldmann were arrested when the items were found in their possession as their group prepared to leave Baghdad airport on March 20.
Mr. Fitton, 66, was then held in a detention cell at the airport before being transferred to prison shortly after his sentencing on June 6.
They were accused, under a 2002 law, of “deliberately taking or attempting to deliberately take an antiquity from Iraq,” which carries the maximum death penalty. Mr. Waldmann was acquitted after his defense team claimed they had two pieces with them for Mr. Fitton but failed to collect them on the spot.
The court decided to reduce Mr. Fitton’s sentence due to his age.
His sons Joshua and Leila, of Bath, said he “did not know” that the items he carried with him were of “historical importance”.
