Discovery of Stolen Historical Artifacts from Palmyra, Libya, and Yemen in Switzerland

Swiss authorities announced that a number of historical artifacts stolen from the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria, as well as from Libya and Yemen, have been discovered and seized at the free ports of Geneva. These items were stolen before the Syrian civil war. On Friday, December 3rd, the French news agency reported the statement from the Geneva public prosecutor, which indicates that most of these artifacts arrived in Switzerland via Qatar. The statement mentions that the stolen items were deposited in the free ports of Geneva in 2009 and 2010 until 2013, when Swiss officials found traces of them during investigations. The statement adds that customs officers contacted Swiss cultural officials in Bern after discovering these items, and ultimately, legal actions regarding them began last winter after their authenticity was confirmed. It is unclear exactly when these stolen items were seized. Most of these artifacts date back to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, including a statue of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and two reliefs depicting burial ceremonies. The French news agency writes that three pieces of these artifacts were stolen from Palmyra, which UNESCO considers a World Heritage site and was at one point under the control of militants from the 'Islamic State' during the Syrian civil war. Five pieces belong to Yemen, and the statue of Aphrodite was smuggled from Libya. The report states that the discovered items are now under the care of the Museum of Art and History in Geneva, where they will be publicly displayed before being returned to Syria, Yemen, and Libya. In this context, the 'Islamic State' blew up an ancient temple in Palmyra, and UNESCO condemned the destruction of Palmyra's historic towers.