Iran's Notorious Treasure Hunter Sentenced to Imprisonment and Fine

The judiciary of the Islamic Republic has sentenced a "fugitive treasure hunter" in absentia to a lengthy prison term, lashes, and a monetary fine. According to reports from Iranian news agencies, Kouhsar Badfar, nicknamed "Poirot," who has been active for years in illegal excavation and "treasure hunting," is currently at large. The judiciary has accused Kouhsar Badfar not only of illegal excavation but also of buying and selling historical artifacts, promoting treasure hunting devices, spreading false information on social media, and insulting cultural heritage officials. Following a complaint from the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Kermanshah Province, the court has sentenced him in absentia to eleven and a half years in prison, a fine of 80 million tomans, and 75 lashes. Kouhsar Badfar was also active on social media, including Instagram and YouTube, where he taught treasure hunting, introduced historical sites for excavation, and bought and sold treasure hunting equipment. He had over one million five hundred thousand followers on Instagram alone. The court in Bisotun has stated that the rulings against Mr. Badfar are preliminary and subject to appeal. Archaeologists and cultural heritage experts in Iran have repeatedly complained about the lack of a "clear judicial procedure for dealing with smugglers and illegal excavators." According to Article 561 of the Islamic Republic's penal code, smuggling historical artifacts carries a prison sentence of one to three years and a fine equivalent to twice the value of the smuggled items. A year and a half ago, news emerged about the arrest of members of the "largest" smuggling gang of historical artifacts from Iran. These members allegedly intended to transfer 3,600 historical items to the United Arab Emirates with the collaboration of some employees at Tehran's international airport and sell them for 11 million dollars. It seems that the minimal punishment imposed by the Islamic Republic for smuggling historical artifacts has left thieves and smugglers unrestrained, with daily reports of illegal excavations, smuggling of historical artifacts across land and sea borders, and the looting of the country's historical sites. This situation has led archaeologists to state that "not even a single hill or archaeological site remains untouched in Iran." The British newspaper The Guardian reported on Saturday, April 1, 2023, that the country's border patrol discovered and seized a Sassanian relief valued at approximately 30 million pounds, which is believed to have been carved from a rock in Shiraz and then smuggled to this country.