New data on the violent detachment of the Parthenon Sculptures and the their theft by Lord Elgin brought to light at the 23rd Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of the World Heritage Organization for the Promotion of the Return of Cultural Property, or ICPRCP, held in Paris.
The argument by British Museum deputy director Dr Jonathan Williams that the stolen objects were on the ground, saying that «much of the frieze was in fact removed from the ruins around the Parthenon», was contradicted by letters between Elgin and the painter Giovanni Batista Lusieri.
The use of special marble saws and other machinery to remove the sculptures from the frieze is shown in the correspondence between Elgin and Lusieri, who was assigned to supervise the removal of the antiquities in 1801.
The Guardian newspaper highlights the issue today with the headline «Greece denies the British Museum»
Lina Mendoni: Greece ready for an honest dialogue with Britain
The British publication includes an exclusive statement by the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, who accuses Elgin of theft.
«For years, the Greek authorities and the international scientific community have presented compelling arguments to establish the facts about the removal of the Parthenon Sculptures. Lord Elgin used illegal and unjust means to seize and export the Parthenon Sculptures, without real legal permission to do so, in a blatant act of serial theft,» the Greek minister said.
Mendoni insisted that the campaign for the return of the Parthenon marbles will continue especially now, in an international context in which various treasures and monuments are being repatriated to their countries.
Referring to the upcoming meeting requested by the British side with the Greek Ministry of Culture, Lina Mendoni added that Greece is ready to enter into an honest dialogue with Britain based on the legal and ethical framework, as well as the recommendations and decisions of UNESCO.
