UK geologist jailed in Iraq could soon walk free

Описание: (27 Jul 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
                              
ASSOCIATED PRESS  
Baghdad – 27 July 2022
1. Various exteriors of Baghdad Appeals Court building, people walking
2. Court sign reading (Arabic) "Supreme Judicial Council, Presidency of Baghdad Appeals Court al-Karkh."
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Thair Soud, Jim Fitton's lawyer:
"Today we are celebrating the closure of Mr. (Jim) Fitton's case after the verdict issued from Cassation (Appeals) Court which contained the quashed felony sentence against my client. As you know, one month and a half before (ago) he was sentenced in prison for 15 years by Felony Court, but we appealled that verdict and we are believing in Iraqi Cassation Court which always approved that it is the safety bolt of the judicial system in Iraq and yesterday all our beliefs came true when this verdict was quashed and decided to free my client based on the justifications that we draw and the evidences that we submitted to Felony Court and also to Court of Cassation and we highlighted the mistakes conducted by the Felony Court based on mistakes in the law application and mistakes in assessment of the evidences. So, it is a big win, first to the judicial system and also to ourselves. We are congratulating ourselves and his family."
4. Cutaway of shield souvenir
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Thair Soud, Jim Fitton's lawyer:
"Currently we are working on freeing him from the prison. It is the matter of paperwork. There are several procedures which we already started yesterday. There is a memo sent to the prison from Cassation Court and also from Felony Court. We are hoping that he will be with his family safe and sound within the couple, within the next couple of days, but it is just the matter of procedures, the administration procedures of the prison."
6. Various exteriors of court, vehicles
STORYLINE:
A retired British geologist sentenced to 15 years for antiquities smuggling in Iraq may soon go free after a Baghdad court overturned his conviction, his lawyer told the Associated Press.  
Baghdad's Court of Cassation, or appeals court, overturned the verdict against Jim Fitton, 66, according to a court statement released on Tuesday.
His release date was not immediately known but lawyer Thair Soud said once paperwork was completed he hoped his client would be freed "within the next couple of days."
  
Fitton drew international attention last month after the conviction for picking up shards of pottery from an archaeological site in southern Iraq.
Documents posted to the judiciary website said the appeals court found however that Fitton's trial judges had made mistakes and that key circumstantial evidence had been overlooked, including Fitton's unfamiliarity with local laws.
It also pointed out that the areas where he had picked up the pieces were unguarded.
The court noted that Fitton had made no attempt to hide the items at the airport.
The shards were clearly visible when airport staff checked his luggage.
Based on this, court found that Fitton harbored no criminal intent to smuggle antiquities and ordered his immediate release, according to the document.
===========================================================
Clients are reminded:
(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: [email protected]

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...