the times | Monday May 2 2022 17
News
A British adventurer has died under
police guard in an Iraqi hospital as a
member of his final expedition fears a
possible death sentence for smuggling.
Geoff Hann, 85, from Brighouse,
West Yorkshire, died after he was pre-
vented from being evacuated from the
country when members of his tour
group were accused of trying to take
historical artefacts out of the country.
Jim Fitton, 66, a geologist from Bath,
Somerset, faces trial this month ac-
cused of attempting to smuggle shards
of ancient pottery found in their lug-
gage at Baghdad airport.
Ministers came under pressure yes-
terday to intervene after Fitton’s family
accused the British government of
abandoning him to avoid upsetting the
Iraqi judicial authorities. More than
95,000 people have signed a petition
urging the Foreign Office to intervene.
Hann had a distinguished career as
an international guide before drawing
up plans for this final expedition in
March, which included visits to Bagh-
dad, Mosul and the ancient cities of
Mesopotamia.
Fitton’s daughter, Leila Fitton, 31,
from Bath, said towards the end of the
tour the group visited a site at Eridu, the
ancient Sumerian city south of modern
Tall al-Muqayyar. In an appeal for help,
she wrote: “There are no guards
present, no signage warning against re-
moval of any of the detritus, and indeedBritish tour guide dies in Iraq
as group accused of smuggling
neither the Ministry of Tourism repre-
sentative with them nor the experi-
enced tour guide team led by Geoff
gave even a hint of warning that these
items were considered valuable. Jim
and others on the tour inquired whe-
ther they would be OK to take home a
few shards from the site to remember
the trip by and were told that this would
be perfectly fine as the debris had no
economic or historical value.”
Hann became unwell during the trip,
forcing him to spend much of his time
on their bus while the lead was taken by
a trainee guide. After checking in atBaghdad airport for the journey home
on March 20, Hann was prevented from
boarding the flight and was taken to
hospital having suffered an apparent
stroke.
Fitton and a German member of the
tour party volunteered to remain to as-
sist the guide and were arrested after
pottery shards were found in the
group’s luggage.
Fitton’s daughter said they followed
the advice of the Foreign, Common-
wealth & Development Office (FCDO)
not to speak publicly about the case
before being told it was “unable to help
for fear of upsetting the Iraqi author-
ities”. She added: “It is our view that the
entire FCDO political hierarchy has
abandoned Jim to his fate, all the way
up to the prime minister.” Fitton, who
worked around the world in the gas and
oil industry, now lives in Malacca,
Malaysia.
Laith Hussein, head of antiquities
and heritage in Iraq, said: “The British
man was detained at the airport after
the customs found in his luggage differ-
ent pieces of antiques from several
sites.”
Amanda Milling, minister for Asia
and the Middle East, said: “We under-
stand the urgency of the case, and have
already raised our concerns with the
Iraqi authorities regarding the possible
imposition of the death penalty in Mr
Fitton’s case and the UK’s opposition to
the death penalty in all circumstances
as a matter of principle.”David BrownJAMES DADIZITIS/SWNSPerfect blend Darcie Dawe picks tea leaves during the first flush of the year at
Tregothnan, Cornwall. The company has been growing tea in England since 1999
Geoff Hann, above,
suffered an
apparent stroke;
Jim Fitton could
face the death
penalty