A Dutch appeals court has ruled that Ukraine, not Russia, has legal control over a famous cache of gold artifacts from Crimea.
In a tweet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the ruling a “long-awaited victory.”.
The objects were lent by four Crimean institutions for a travelling exhibition—the largest presentation of such ancient artifacts outside of the peninsula at the time.
The show debuted in 2013 at the Rhineland Regional Museum in Bonn, Germany before moving to the Netherlands.
Grateful to the court for a fair decision, and to @minjust_gov_ua, @MFA_Ukraine & @MKIPUkraine for the result.
“The public interests at stake are of great weight and this case is closely connected to the Ukrainian State,” the judge added.
“Though the regulations encroach on private legal relationships, they do so for the sake of cultural interests that outweigh the interests of the Crimean museums.”. »