DUBAI, UAE - Iraq has successfully recovered around 23,000 artifacts, belonging to Sumerian and Babylonian civilizations, from the US and Europe that were smuggled out of the country after 2003, the Supreme Judicial Council said.

Judge Nabil Karim of the Central Investigation Court said the judiciary played a key role in retrieving the artifacts, including a Gilgamesh Tablet, which was displayed in a Washington museum before being recovered in 2021. 

That same year, Iraq reclaimed 17,000 artifacts from the United States through cooperation with American authorities, based on official documents. 

Thousands of additional pieces were returned from European countries, including the United Kingdom and France.

“The number of artifacts recovered in the past decade is approximately 23,000,” Karim said in a statement. “France returned 3,500 artifacts in 2017, Germany returned 150, and in 2019, the UK returned 700. Another 2,000 pieces were recovered from various countries. In 2021 alone, Iraq reclaimed 17,000 artifacts from the US.”

The recovered artifacts include cuneiform tablets, statues, and tools from ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. 

Iraq continues to work with international organizations, including UNESCO and Interpol, to retrieve additional smuggled artifacts.

Iraqi law classifies antiquities theft as a serious crime. Under the Antiquities and Heritage Law No. 55 of 2002, offenders face prison sentences ranging from seven to 15 years, along with fines up to six times the estimated value of the stolen artifact. 

The law imposes a life sentence for individuals responsible for managing or protecting stolen antiquities. If theft involves coercion or armed individuals, the penalty can escalate to death.

“Iraq is increasing diplomatic and legal pressure on museums and institutions displaying smuggled artifacts, pushing for an end to the commercial sale of its cultural heritage in international auctions,” Karim said.