Iraqi archaeologist demands return of Mesopotamian artifact from Kuwait

Shafaq News- Baghdad

A rare Mesopotamian bronze goat statuette is currently held in Kuwait as part of a private archaeological collection, Iraqi archaeologist Amer Abdul Razzaq revealed, urging Baghdad to recover the artifact.

Abdul Razzaq told Shafaq News on Wednesday that the artifact is part of the private al-Sabah archaeological collection, which also includes Iraqi artifacts displayed last year at an international exhibition in China.

Describing the transfer as “illegal,” he called on Iraqi authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the theft and transfer of the artifact to Kuwait, stressing that the country’s antiquities “cannot be privately owned or traded.”

Iraq recovered more than 40,000 artifacts in 2024 and 2025 through domestic seizures and international repatriation campaigns, according to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities. In the latest operation, the National Security Service announced on Tuesday the seizure of 255 archaeological artifacts concealed inside abandoned quarries between the southern provinces of Basra and Dhi Qar.

Under Iraq’s Antiquities Law No. 55 of 2002, individuals who fail to hand over archaeological artifacts to the state within 30 days face up to 10 years in prison and financial penalties amounting to twice the estimated value of the items. The law also prescribes prison terms of up to 15 years for the theft of antiquities and heritage property.