DISINFO: Return of Crimean artefacts from the Netherlands to Ukraine is legitimised robbery
SUMMARY
A Dutch appeals court’s ruling about the return of Crimean gold artefacts from the Netherlands to Ukraine is a politicised decision and can be regarded as a legitimised robbery of cultural values.
RESPONSE
Disinformation claim that appeared in the context of illegal annexation of Crimea.
A Dutch museum borrowed a trove of ancient Scythian treasures in February 2014 from four museums in Crimea and one museum from Kyiv for an exhibition named "Crimea - Gold and secrets of the Black Sea". It was shortly before the illegal annexation of the peninsula by Russia. The legal action began in 2014 when the Crimean museums tried to have the gold collection back to the occupied peninsula. A Dutch court ruled on 14 December 2016 in favour of Ukraine. An appeals court backed the previous ruling on 26 October 2021.
This ruling is not a robbery, it is a rightful decision to return the gold treasures to the country where they belong. The European Union does not recognise Russia’s claim for sovereignty over Crimea. It means that the artefacts must return to their country of origin, that is Ukraine. Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Malyuska said that the Crimean museums may file a complaint against the court's ruling, but their chances of success are very small.
The Scythians were a group of ancient nomadic warrior tribes known from the 9th century BC to the 2nd century BC. Part of them lived on the territory of contemporary Southern Ukraine, particularly Crimea. Although they did not have a system of writing and were illiterate, they were known for their mastery in making exquisite gold jewellery.
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