The household of British man going through the demise penalty in Iraq have stated they really feel “fully deserted” by the Overseas Workplace as sentencing approaches.
Jim Fitton’s son-in-law informed The Unbiased it was a “cautionary story” for British residents overseas to not count on the division “to avoid wasting you when you get into bother exterior of your management”.
The retired geologist is because of stand trial in Iraq subsequent week, in response to his household. The 66-year-old is accused of trying to smuggle historic artifacts in a foreign country, which they are saying carries a statutory punishment of execution.
Mr Fitton was arrested on the airport after choosing up unguarded shards of damaged pottery and stones at a historic web site after being assured they’d no worth, in response to a petition calling for the Overseas Workplace to battle for his launch.
Sam Tasker, his son-in-law, stated embassy employees on the bottom had been “as useful as they are often” however the “political institution throughout the Overseas Workplace have been fully absent”.
He stated there had been no contact with ministers or anybody with any “decision-making capability” within the division, whilst their petition attracted greater than 100,000 signatures in a number of days.
Mr Tasker informed The Unbiased the household felt “fully deserted” by the Overseas Workplace over Mr Fitton’s state of affairs in Iraq.
Retired British geologist Jim Fitton together with his spouse Sarijah Fitton and his daughter Leila Fitton (Household handout/PA)
(PA Media)
“It’s a cautionary story to others as a lot as the rest. Firstly, be very cautious when you’re serious about travelling to Iraq for historic tourism as a result of Jim is a massively skilled traveler, travelling with a really skilled and well-respected journey group, an organised tour that does this for a residing. And we nonetheless discover ourselves on this state of affairs,” he stated.
“Secondly, as a British citizen overseas don’t count on the Overseas Workplace to avoid wasting you when you get into bother exterior of your management, as a result of clearly they gained’t. A minimum of it appears to us in the meanwhile.”
Leila Fitton, his daughter, stated officers on the journey – together with a Ministry of Tourism consultant or tour guides – didn’t give “even a touch of warning” the objects her father picked up throughout a web site go to to Eridu have been invaluable.
Jim Fitton together with his household
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“Certainly, Jim and others on the tour enquired whether or not they could be OK to take dwelling just a few shards from the location to recollect the journey by and have been informed that this might be completely superb, because the particles had no financial or historic worth,” she claimed.
She stated her father would deliver dwelling souvenirs – corresponding to stones – from his travels, that are on show at his dwelling in Malaysia.
Ms Fitton described her father as a geologist who has labored in a bunch of nations, corresponding to Yemen, Syria, Vietnam and Indonesia all through his life.
“An actual nerd in terms of geology”, she informed The Unbiased. “He’s a really quiet particular person, very reserved, he loves his books. And he’s one in every of my greatest pals. I’m very near him and I haven’t seen him for 2 years due to Covid.
“We had a Covid marriage ceremony in Tub, which my complete household couldn’t attend. So we’re again in Malaysia for our Malaysian marriage ceremony, and it’s taking place this coming week. And it’s very unhappy that he can’t be there with us.”
Mr Fitton was arrested in late March whereas ready to fly again dwelling to Malaysia. He has since been in a holding cell on the airport, his household say.
His son-in-law informed The Unbiased they hear from the 66-year-old on Whatsapp for about 5 to 10 minutes every single day, after they imagine he’s given his telephone again for a short while.
Mr Tasker stated his father-in-law is “actually placing on a courageous face and stiff higher lip for us”.
Jim Fitton together with his household
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He stated the household initially stored quiet after being suggested to take action by their caseworker. “We sat on our fingers for 3 weeks actually ready for any person to assist us.”
His native MP for Tub, Wera Hobhouse, raised the difficulty in parliament final week. After this, Mr Tasker stated they heard from the Overseas Workplace that they “didn’t need to be seen to be intervening within the Iraqi judicial system”.
The division says it opposes the demise penalty however can’t intervene within the authorized techniques of different international locations.
However Mr Tasker stated he feels it wasted invaluable time “deliberating quietly to show round and inform us they’re not going to assist”.
“And now we discover ourselves within the state of affairs the place we’re simply throwing the whole lot on the wall now to see what sticks as a result of we simply don’t have the time to waste anymore”, he stated.
Mr Fitton’s household are calling for the Overseas Workplace to assist fast-track a gathering between their lawyer and Iraq’s director of public prosecutions within the hope of closing the case earlier than it goes to trial, which they count on subsequent week.
He stated they hope to push this by way of by “leaning on Jim’s age, the actual fact there’s clearly no prison intent and the truth that he was not correctly supported by Iraqi officers or guides, or anybody else who was there who ought to have identified higher.”
A Overseas Workplace spokesperson stated: “We’re offering consular help to a British nationwide in Iraq and are in touch with the native authorities.
“The British authorities’s coverage on the demise penalty is obvious: we oppose it in all circumstances, as a matter of precept.”
Kaynak: briturkish.com
