The Cairo Criminal Court on Tuesday granted the former honorary consul for Italy, Ladislav Otakar Skakal, a 15-year-sentence in absentia on charges of smuggling Egyptian antiquities to Italy. Egyptian Attorney General Nabil Sadek officially announced the arrival of the smuggled antiquities at Cairo Airport on July 2019. In 2018, the Egyptian Public Prosecution recognized the presence of Egyptian antiquities seized in the Italian city Salerno. Egypt’s public prosecution immediately informed the Italian authorities that Egypt has the full right to seize these smuggled antiquities. Thanks to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian embassy in Rome, the Italian authorities instantly accepted the Egyptian prosecution’s appeal.

Source: Egypt Independent January 22, 2020 12:22 UTC