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Crimea and Sevastopol

Russia’s Crimea investigator instructed to probe withholding of Scythian gold artifacts

Within the legal framework, Russia’s Investigative Committee will provide a proper assessment of the violation of state interests, Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko noted

MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin has handed down orders to examine the situation related to the failure to return the Scythian gold from Amsterdam to Crimea, Investigative Committee Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko told the media on Wednesday.

"With regard to the removal of cultural heritage objects belonging to museums of the Republic of Crimea, and the subsequent decision by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal to hand over the Scythian gold collection to Ukraine, the IC chairman has instructed Head of the Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol Vladimir Terentyev to investigate the failure to return the cultural heritage objects belonging to Crimea," Petrenko said.

She stressed that within the legal framework, Russia’s Investigative Committee will provide a proper assessment of the violation of state interests.

Petrenko reported that Bastrykin also instructed the department of legal support and international cooperation along with Russia’s Foreign Ministry to conduct inspections and thoroughly examine the situation.

The Scythian Gold collection, which is made up of over 2,000 items, was on loan from four Crimean museums to Amsterdam where the exhibit "Crimea: Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea" opened on February 6, 2014. "Despite the fact that Russia’s representatives and Crimean museums repeatedly noted the necessity of returning museum items to Crimea where they were discovered and stored for decades. The Netherlands has taken a political decision," Petrenko concluded.

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Crimea and Sevastopol

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