British geologist Jim Fitton jailed in Iraq not a criminal, family say

The daughter of a British geologist jailed in Iraq says she "just wants him home", adding "he is not a criminal".

Jim Fitton's family said they were terrified about how he would be treated in prison after being sentenced to 15 years for attempting to smuggle artefacts out of the country.

Mr Fitton, from Bath, insisted he had no idea he was breaking Iraqi laws.

His son-in-law, Sam Tasker, added: "He's an old white British man, there's a lot of ill feeling towards the west."

The 66-year-old had collected 12 stones and shards of broken pottery during a recent geology and archaeology tour.

His daughter, Leila Fitton, said: "We just want my dad home. He's so undeserving. He's not a criminal."

Jim Fitton was detained while trying to leave the country in March

Mr Fitton has been held in detention at Baghdad airport since his arrest on 20 March, but following his conviction is due to be transferred to a general population jail.

Mr Tasker criticised the UK Government for the level of support provided by the Foreign Office.

He added that they were "desperately asking" the government to publicly come out against the verdict and endorse an appeal they would be raising.

"I think there's a huge disconnect between what people assume the Foreign Office will do for British citizens when they're in trouble abroad and what they actually see as their role in reality," he said.

"We have not had any contact with any minister no matter how junior about this case."

He said the family had been provided with a list of phone numbers for lawyers and translators, which they had to hire themselves, and someone had visited Mr Fitton every two weeks to check he was being fed and watered.

The Foreign Office has previously said they cannot interfere with the judicial process of another country and claimed to have provided consular support to Mr Fitton and his family.

Mr Fitton picked up the stone fragments from Eridu, a historically famous archaeological site in southern Iraq

Mr Fitton, who had regularly toured various countries and sites of historical interest across South America, south-east Asia and the Middle East, collected the items as souvenirs while visiting a site in Eridu, in Iraq's south east.

He was arrested at Baghdad airport on 20 March alongside German national Volker Waldmann, who was acquitted of the same charges as Mr Fitton.

They were charged under a 2002 law against "intentionally taking or trying to take out of Iraq an antiquity", which carries the maximum sentence of the death penalty.

The court decided to reduce the sentence "because of the advanced age of the accused", the judge said.