On 22 April the Amsterdam Court of Appeal held a hearing in the case on return of the items of the exhibitions “Crimea. Golden Island in the Black Sea”. Ukraine was strongly represented by the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Yevhenii Yenin and Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy Svitlana Fomenko, as well as the legal team.

Our standing is clear and unwavering: the Crimean treasures should return to Ukraine, as they form part of our cultural heritage. Ukraine reiterated the applicability of the UNSECO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, as well as drew the Court’s attention to the wider context of the case.

The judgment is expected within the coming months.