Sunday, June 15, 2014

Antiquities Coalition Contractually Obligated to Sue on Behalf of Egyptian Military Dictatorship?

It appears based on this Egyptian State Media report that the Egyptian Military Dictatorship believes the Antiquities Coalition may be contractually obligated to take legal action on its behalf against the Saint Louis Art Museum.  If so, perhaps the Antiquities Coalition has gotten itself into far more than it bargained for....
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3 comments:

  1. John HJune 15, 2014 at 8:58 AM

    The Antiquities Coalition has maybe bitten off more than it can chew? Surely not Mr Tompa. These Coalition Johnnies are 'experts,' way far and above lesser mortals; morally, intellectually, and ethically - or so they tell us!

    As such, they must have known the limits of their fiscal responsibility before jumping on the bandwagon and signing on the dotted line. If they didn't then one has to ask whether these Coalition types are not so much fit for purpose, but more to the point, fit for what purpose?

    Their partners (see their website, hmm, impressive) will no doubt be willing to stump up the truck load cash in order to support the impending court case against SLAM, or, to defend the Coalition in a possible breach on contract suit initiated by the Egyptian. Military.

    Interesting days ahead.

    Best wishes as usual.

    John Howland
    England

    June 15, 2014 at 8:53 AM

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJune 20, 2014 at 2:36 PM

    Peter, your assumptions have led you astray. The Antiquities Coalition is under no "legal obligation" to the Egyptian government on any issue. Nor are we involved in the case that you reference. And as you well know, the Egyptians would need to retain a law firm to sue anyone; The Antiquities Coalition is a not for profit that raises the awareness about the issue of cultural racketeering or the systematic looting of antiquities by organized crime. I am always happy to speak with youif you would like to double check your facts before publishing.

    best,

    Deborah Lehr
    Chairman, The Antiquities Coaltion

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cultural Property ObserverJune 20, 2014 at 3:55 PM

    Deborah, thank you for your clarification. My question was prompted by the statement of the Egyptian minister that alludes to action under the MOU against SLAM and other information that suggests a lawsuit is being contemplated. I could not find the text of the MOU on the Antiquities Coalition website. Perhaps, it can be uploaded in the interests of transparency.

    Best regards,

    Peter

    ReplyDelete

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