Hamburg Court Convicts Siblings for Trafficking Looted Egyptian Artifacts

A Hamburg court has convicted two siblings for money laundering in connection with the illegal trade of ancient Egyptian cultural artifacts. The court ordered the forfeiture of 32 million euros in total and imposed fines. The artifacts, reportedly from illegal excavations in Egypt, included a bust of Cleopatra, a stone tablet linked to Pharaoh Tutankhamun, and objects from a princess's tomb. These items were sold to museums for millions. The brother was involved in the illegal trade since 2013, bringing sarcophagi from the princess's tomb to Germany for restoration and selling them to a museum in the UAE while concealing their origin. He also participated in selling the Cleopatra bust and the Tutankhamun tablet to museums in the UAE. The court acquitted him of the more serious charge of gang-related trade in stolen goods due to insufficient evidence, but ordered the forfeiture of 26 million euros and a fine of over 90,000 euros. The sister's account received parts of the proceeds, leading to a forfeiture of six million euros and a fine of 30,000 euros. The siblings are children of an alleged main perpetrator, reportedly a Hamburg archaeologist. Other suspects are being prosecuted in separate proceedings. The judge described the case as legally complex and referred to the items as 'unique cultural treasures.'