Legal Mechanisms for the Recovery of Stolen Libyan Antiquities

"An Analytical Study between Domestic Legislation and International Conventions"

Abstract

Given the various acts of theft and looting that the archaeological cultural heritage in Libya was exposed to during the events that took place in Libya in 2011 and the subsequent spread of chaos and the spread of terrorist and armed groups in the country, this research aimed to study the adequacy of national and international rules in recovering stolen Libyan antiquities. In light of the existence of Law No. 3 of 1995 to protect antiquities The Libyan state has joined many international agreements related to this matter. The researchers followed the comparative analytical approach and concluded that the national and international rules concerned with the protection of antiquities are still marred by many deficiencies. Accordingly, the paper recommends making the necessary constitutional and legal amendments at the national level, and activating the agreements. International organization aimed at protecting the world’s cultural heritage and returning stolen antiquities to its country.