Page 6 - Sam Tasker News Today

ALBAWABA - The 66-year-old British geologist Jim Fitton is trending on the social media. Why? He has been charged by an Iraqi court of smuggling artefac

An Iraqi court on Monday jailed a British retiree for 15 years for trying to smuggle antiquities he found on holiday, a judgement his family called "tantamount to a death sentence".His German co-defendant was acquitted.The maximum penalty for the offence is death by hanging but the court decided on a lesser sentence for James Fitton, 66, "because of the advanced age of the accused," the judge said.Fitton's lawyer said that he would appeal.

Jim Fitton was sentenced to 15 years in prison at a court in Baghdad on Monday.

A retired British man, who is facing the death penalty in Iraq after pocketing some broken shards of pottery he found in the desert, has had his trial delayed.

Jim Fitton was arrested in the Baghdad airport over smuggling allegations during his first visit to the country in March for a geology and archaeology tour.

Retired geologist Jim Fitton has been accused of trying to take artefacts out of the country.

Briton Jim Fitton is charged with attempted artefact smuggling and faces two more weeks in a cell after his trial in Iraq was postponed.

Jim Fitton, 66, who is charged with artefact smuggling, has had his trial date postponed.

It was reported his co-accuseds defence lawyer argued more information was needed about the historical significance of the 12 archaeological pieces found in their possession.

Retired geologist Jim Fitton has been accused of trying to take artefacts out of the country.