Shafaq News- Baghdad
A rare Mesopotamian bronze goatstatuette is currently held in Kuwait as part of a private archaeologicalcollection, Iraqi archaeologist Amer Abdul Razzaq revealed, urging Baghdad torecover the artifact.
Abdul Razzaq told Shafaq News onWednesday that the artifact is part of the private al-Sabah archaeologicalcollection, which also includes Iraqi artifacts displayed last year at aninternational exhibition in China.
Describing the transfer as“illegal,” he called on Iraqi authorities to investigate the circumstancessurrounding the theft and transfer of the artifact to Kuwait, stressing thatthe country’s antiquities “cannot be privately owned or traded.”
Iraq recovered more than 40,000artifacts in 2024 and 2025 through domestic seizures and internationalrepatriation campaigns, according to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, andAntiquities. In the latest operation, theNational Security Service announced on Tuesday the seizure of 255archaeological artifacts concealed inside abandoned quarries between thesouthern provinces of Basra and Dhi Qar.
Under Iraq’s Antiquities Law No. 55of 2002, individuals who fail to hand over archaeological artifacts to thestate within 30 days face up to 10 years in prison and financial penaltiesamounting to twice the estimated value of the items. The law also prescribesprison terms of up to 15 years for the theft of antiquities and heritageproperty.
