Press Interpreter

04/14/05--In the last few months, Yemeni authorities have concentrated on measures aiming to prevent the sale of their antiquities abroad, orchestrated by international groups, and have strengthened supervision at border crossings, airports, and harbors. They have achieved some notable successes during this period, which have contributed to the defeat of smuggling by antiquarians and the arrests of merchants and dealers both local and foreign.

In an interview with aljazeera.net, Hisham al-Thawr, general manager of the protectorate of antiquities and manuscripts in Yemen, disclosed that the authorities had thwarted attempts at smuggling over 1000 antiquities through the Sanaa International Airport, and comprise primarily numismata, manuscripts, and sculptures both bronze and stone.

He indicated that the end of January / Kanoon al-Thani 2005 saw the thwarting of the greatest incident of Yemeni antiquities smuggling, the principle player in which was an Iraqi dealer, arrested by the Yemenis in an apartment in Sanaa; in his possession were approximately 780 antiquities, ranging from ancient Islamic coins to bronzes and sculptures, in addition to a kilo of ancient goldwork.

The Yemeni who was interviewed added that this very week the authorities had seized three individuals of Syrian nationality at a crossing leading to the Saudi border, intent upon smuggling 21 antiquities hearkening back to Sabaean and Himyarite times, as well as the middle Islamic period in Yemen.

The Yemeni authorities are pursuing a strategy to prevent the sale of antiquities, which involves covering archaeological areas with cadres of watchmen and specialists in antiquities, but Hisham al-Thawr did confirm that the Yemeni authorities are focusing their efforts at protection through the concentration of supervision and the protection of archaeological locations in the field, in addition to strengthening the protective measures at the border crossings, airports, and harbors, to thwart any effort at smuggling antiquities.

The Yemeni who was interviewed expressed that antiquities case concerning the Iraqi, Shaker Ayad, had delivered him over to the court, and explained that the charge that he will face during the first session of his trial includes two counts of possession and trade of Yemeni antiquities within the country, their value equal to 4 million riyals.

He acknowledged that the Iraqi, Shaker, is the second Arab accused of this crime to appear before the court facing Yemeni jurisdiction under the charge of smuggling Yemeni antiquities during this past March. On the sixth of the same month, the court of East Sanaa began the first of its sessions to sentence a Jordanian, by the name of Samir Hammad Jadallah, under prosecution, as well as two Yemenis, with the charge of dealing in Yemeni antiquities and attempting to export them abroad.

The Yemeni authorities had arrested the accused Jordanian and his two Yemeni companions on the 3rd of last February / Shubat, having in their possession a kilo of reddish gold in the form of bracelets and earrings, in addition to a collection of bronze and stone antiquities.

[Full Article]

By Abdo Abbas, Sanaa

--Translated by C.G. Häberl

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