Greece will not sue Britain over the Elgin statue – BBC Russian

• 14 May 2015

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About 30% of the Parthenon in the British Museum

Greece refused intention to court to get the collection of the British Museum to return the Parthenon Marbles from the collection of Lord Elgin.

The Minister of Culture of Greece, made a surprise announcement that his country would take measures diplomatic and political pressure to achieve this goal.

So, Greece has rejected the recommendations of a lawyer Amal Clooney, who advised Greece to Britain to file a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice.

A collection of marble sculptures and bas-reliefs was taken from Greece by Lord Elgin 200 years ago.

Greece believes that the Parthenon as they should be more properly called, were taken illegally, and in recent years campaigned for their return, including with the help of a lawyer Amal Clooney.

This week, Clooney presented Greek government a report of some 150 pages, in which it recommended that the formal request of sculptures and repatriation in case of failure to appeal to the International Court of Justice.

However, the Minister of Culture of Greece Nikos Ksidakis said, speaking on the Greek television channel Mega TV: ” You can not go to court for any reason. In addition, the outcome of cases in international courts always unreliable “.

According to him, the attitude of the world to the problem of the return of the Parthenon me, and he is convinced that Greece must act diplomatically.

Lord Elgin Collection

2500 years

the age of the collection

1816

acquired by the British Museum

• The collection includes:

• 75 m 160 meter frieze

• 15 of 92 panels

• 17 figures

Source: British Museum

Reuters

Parthenon Sculptures

• friezes and sculptures from the pedestal that adorned the Parthenon temple in Athens, built in the years 447-432 BC.
• Many of them were dismantled by agents of the British diplomat Lord Elgin in 1816 and sold to the British Museum
• Most of the remaining sculptures equally divided between London and Athens
• In 2009, in Athens, opened new Acropolis Museum. It is designed to demonstrate all the surviving sculptures in their original design.

Over the last 30 years, the Greek government is seeking repatriation of the Parthenon.

Recently, the British Museum has rejected the offer UNESCO for mediation in the conflict. Minister Nikos Ksidakis condemned the decision, accusing Britain of negativism and lack of respect for the position of Greece.

In December, the British Museum for the first time passed a collection of sculptures to demonstrate the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

The then Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said that the decision was a slap in the face for the Museum of the Greek people.