Monday, February 05, 2007

Berend Decision

Via the invaluable Terry Martin, I see that the London High Court decision in Islamic Republic of Iran v. Berend is now online here.

The Scotsman has a summary:

"Iran ... lost a legal battle against an 85-year-old French widow over a piece of carved limestone from the ancient Persian capital of Persepolis. London's High Court ruled in favour of Denyse Berend, who bought the artefact in 1974, in a case brought against her by the Iranian government which sought to reclaim the relief fragment. After a week of legal argument, Mr Justice Eady decided Berend was the legal owner of the piece .... Berend bought it at a New York auction in 1974 and decided to sell it through London auctioneers Christie's in 2004. When it learnt about the planned sale, the Iranian government, which has stepped up efforts to secure the return of thousands of Persian artefacts held abroad, obtained a court order preventing Christie's from selling it."