Further coverage of the rejection by the European Court of Human Rights of the first case brought there for the return of the Parthenon Marbles

The ECtHR might have deemed one case for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to be inadmissible, but this doesn’t mean that this is the end of legal battles to secure their return.

Read yesterday’s article for a more in depth understanding of the legal reasons and why these may just be a delay on the road to restitution, rather than a dead end.

The European Court of Human Rights Building in Strasbourg

From:
Greek Reporter

European Court of Human Rights Throws Out First Legal Bid to Return the Elgin Marbles to Greece
By Kerry Kolasa-Sikiaridi
Jul 20, 2016

It has been 200 years since Greece was robbed of its famous marble Parthenon sculptures, known around the world as the so-called “Elgin Marbles.”

Just when it seemed that these 2,500-year-old marbles might actually be returned to their home in Athens, the European Court of Human Rights has thrown out the first ever legal motion to force the UK to return the sculptures to Greece, brought about by the Athenians’ Association.

The European Court stated that since the alleged crime of stealing the marbles from Greece took place 150 years ago that it did not have the legislative power to consider the lawsuit, since the robbery occurred before the UK signed into the human rights convention.

“It is clear from the nature of the applicant’s complaints that its underlying grievance is the allegedly unlawful removal of the marbles from Greece. The removal having occurred some 150 years before the Convention was drafted and ratified by the respondent state, the applicant’s complaints would appear to be inadmissible,” the court said of its ruling, according to the independent.co.uk.

This is just another obstacle that has arisen in returning the marbles to their rightful home atop the Parthenon.

Furthermore, the judges also added that the Athenians’ Association did not have “any right…to have the marbles returned to Greece.”

This action is not deterring the Athenians’ Association in the least. They said that they will continue to pursue getting the UK to return the stolen marbles to Greece.

“Globally, this first statement of the European Court, historically the first court judgement, on the subject of the Parthenon Marbles highlights the points that Greece should focus on with particular attention in her recourse against the United Kingdom,” said Vassilis Sotiropoulo, legal representative for the Athenians’ Association.

Recent polls have shown an overwhelming majority of UK citizens support the reunification of the Greek Marbles as an Ipsos-Mori poll recently showed 69 percent of Britons were in favor of returning the marbles, while only a mere 13 percent were against.

Also, MPs put forth a new Bill, The Parthenon Sculptures (Return to Greece), which was presented on July 10 by a joint-partisan panel composed of Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams, supported by Conservative Jeremy Lefroy and 10 other MPs from Labor, the SNP and Plaid Cymru.

“It’s time we engaged in a gracious act. To put right a 200-year wrong,” Mark Williams said.

“These magnificent artifacts were improperly dragged and sawn off the remains of the Parthenon.”

From:
Mirage News

Elgin Marbles won’t be returned to Greece as Euro court throws out first-ever legal bid
July 21, 2016 1:03 am

The first legal bid to have the priceless Elgin Marbles returned from the UK to their native Greece has been ejected from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The court found that because the removal of the 2,500-year-old marbles from Greece’s Parthenon temple happened over 150 years ago, it did not have the power to rule on the issue.

The collection of statues and decorations was originally acquired by the British Earl of Elgin, who in 1816 sold them to the British government when he got into financial difficulties.

He claimed to have a legal document from the then-ruling Ottoman Empire allowing him to take them. Campaigners say the claim is not valid.

The ruling, which was made in June, said: “The Court notes that the marbles were removed from Greece in the early 19th century.”

“In order to bring the matter within the temporal jurisdiction of the Court, the applicant has sought to rely on the refusal of the United Kingdom to enter into mediation with Greece concerning the return of the marbles and the continuing refusal to return the marbles.”

Given the “removal … occurred some 150 years before the Convention was drafted and ratified by the respondent state” the complaint “appeared to be inadmissible.”

The marbles currently reside in the British Museum and are not the only imperial acquisition whose return has been demanded.

In July 2015 Labour MP Keith Vaz called on then-Prime Minister David Cameron to return the giant diamond which adorns the Queen’s crown to its native India.

When first mined the diamond was a gargantuan 793 carats. It changed hands between various invading powers before ending up in the possession of the British after they confiscated it from the Sikh Empire.

After arriving in Britain in 1850, Queen Victoria had it reduced to 108 carats. Today it is the centerpiece of Queen Elizabeth’s crown. Legend has it the diamond’s male owners are subject to a curse as it can only be worn by gods or women. (RT)