Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Switzerland returns looted relics to Syrian authorities

A funereal bas-relief with a female portrait from Syria, 2nd century BC.
A funereal bas-relief with a female portrait from Syria, 2nd century BC. © MAH, photo : F. Bevilacqua

Three rare artefacts that were looted from Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra and stored at the Geneva free port have been returned to Syrian authorities.

The confiscated objects, from the second and third centuries BC, include a priest’s head and two funereal bas-reliefs featuring male and female portraits. They were handed over to officials at the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations Office in Geneva last Thursday, it was reported on Tuesday.

This follows a request for restitution made by the Syrian authorities in September 2020.

A priest s head, Syria, 2nd-3rd century BC.
A priest’s head, Syria, 2nd-3rd century BC. © MAH, photo : B. Jacot-Descombes

The items from Syria, together with others from Yemen and Libya, had been confiscated by the Office of the Attorney General of Geneva in 2016. Most of the items had reportedly reached SwitzerlandExternal link via Qatar and were taken by looters.

The artefacts were stored at the Geneva free port by private individuals after arriving illegally in Switzerland between 2009-2010. They had been discovered during a routine inspection by Swiss customs in 2013. It is not clear when they were seized.

The pieces were then handed over to the Museum of Art and History in Geneva, where they were displayed temporarily in 2017 to raise awareness about the issue of looted cultural heritage. They were then stored in the museum ahead of their restitution.

The Syrian pieces came from Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site devastated by Islamic State jihadists who seized it in May 2015. The Islamists sent shock waves around the world as they systematically destroyed the central city’s monuments.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

More heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland

More

Study finds more heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland

This content was published on Copper and zinc can be expected to accumulate in the soil, particularly if farmyard manure is used for several years and is greater than the amount of nutrients absorbed by the grass. This was announced by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) on Friday. The findings are based on the results of the seventh National Soil Monitoring of Switzerland (Nabo).

Read more: Study finds more heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland
The Federal Administrative Court in St Gallen, Switzerland.

More

Court rules al-Qaeda supporter can stay in Switzerland

This content was published on A Kurdish supporter of the Islamist terrorist network al-Qaeda can stay in Switzerland, the Federal Administrative Court has ruled. It has withdrawn the annulment of the man’s provisional admission.

Read more: Court rules al-Qaeda supporter can stay in Switzerland
Dieselgate scandal: In 2015 it emerged that millions of VW diesel-powered vehicles had been manipulated to pass environmental standards.

More

Swiss prosecutors close VW ‘Dieselgate’ case

This content was published on The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has closed criminal proceedings relating to the Swiss owners affected by the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” emissions scandal.

Read more: Swiss prosecutors close VW ‘Dieselgate’ case
Employment prospects remain stable in the fourth quarter

More

Q4 job prospects in Switzerland remain stable

This content was published on The employment outlook in Switzerland will remain stable towards the end of 2024, according to the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich.

Read more: Q4 job prospects in Switzerland remain stable
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida.

More

Swiss woman accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault

This content was published on A former Miss Switzerland candidate has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in New York in 1993. The US Republican candidate’s campaign team has denied the accusations.

Read more: Swiss woman accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR