Limassol woman acquitted of illegal antiquities possession

The Limassol District Court has acquitted a local woman of charges regarding the possession of undeclared antiquities. The legal proceedings were initiated in January 2020 after the defendant’s son turned over two boxes containing 20 ancient items to the police, alleging that his mother had kept them without proper registration as required by law.

Following the son's report, authorities conducted a search of the defendant's home in the presence of an archaeologist. The investigation uncovered various artifacts, including Bronze Age jugs, a flask, an amphoriskos, Hellenistic and Roman period perfume vessels, four coins, terracotta fragments, and a stamped amphora handle. The defendant testified that she believed the items had been legally held since the 1980s and stated she had previously filed for a permit through her husband following legislative changes in 1996.

The court ultimately ruled that there was reasonable doubt as to whether all or only some of the items were left undeclared, a critical element of the charge. Despite the acquittal, the judge ordered that all seized antiquities be surrendered to the Department of Antiquities for official safekeeping.