Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, May 17, 2025

0:00
0:00

Louvre ex-director charged in art trafficking case, smuggled out of Egypt in the chaos of the Arab Spring.

A former director of the Louvre Museum in Paris has been charged with conspiring to hide the origin of archaeological treasures that investigators suspect were smuggled out of Egypt in the chaos of the Arab Spring.

Jean-Luc Martinez was charged Wednesday after being taken in for questioning along with two French specialists in Egyptian art, who were not charged, another source close to the inquiry said.

The Louvre, which is owned by the French state, is the world's most visited museum with around 10 million visitors a year before the Covid-19 pandemic and is home to some of Western civilization's most celebrated cultural heritage.

French investigators opened the case in July 2018, two years after the Louvre's branch in Abu Dhabi bought a rare pink granite stele depicting the pharaoh Tutankhamun and four other historic works for eight million euros ($8.5 million).

Martinez, who ran the Paris Louvre from 2013 to 2021, is accused of turning a blind eye to fake certificates of origin for the pieces, a fraud thought to involve several other art experts, according to French investigative weekly Canard Enchaine.

He has been charged with complicity in fraud and "concealing the origin of criminally obtained works by false endorsement," according to the judicial source.

Martinez is currently the French foreign ministry's ambassador in charge of international cooperation on cultural heritage, which focuses in particular on fighting art trafficking.

"Jean-Luc Martinez contests in the strongest way his indictment in this case," his lawyers told in a statement.


Arab Spring looting


"For now, he will reserve his declarations for the judiciary, and has no doubt that his good faith will be established," they said.

French investigators suspect that hundreds of artefacts were pillaged from Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries during protests in the early 2010s that became known as the Arab Spring.

They suspect the artefacts were then sold to galleries and museums that did not ask too many questions about previous ownership.

Martinez's indictment comes after the German-Lebanese gallery owner who brokered the sale, Robin Dib, was arrested in Hamburg in March and extradited to Paris for questioning.

Marc Gabolde, a French Egyptologist, was quoted by Canard Enchaine as saying that he informed Louvre officials about suspicions related to the Tutankhamun stele but received no response.

The opening of the inquiry in 2018 roiled the Paris art market, a major hub for antiquities from Middle Eastern civilisations.

In June 2020, prominent Paris archaeology expert Christophe Kunicki and dealer Richard Semper were charged with fraud for false certification of looted works from several countries during the Arab Spring.

They also had a role in certifying another prized Egyptian work, the gilded sarcophagus of the priest Nedjemankh that was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2017.

Gabolde said an Egyptian art dealer, Habib Tawadros, was also involved in both suspect deals.

After New York prosecutors determined that the sarcophagus had been stolen during the revolts against Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the Met said it had been a victim of false statements and fake documentation, and returned the coffin to Egypt.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Russia and Ukraine Hold First Direct Peace Talks in Three Years — But No Breakthrough Yet
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
KREMLIN has just approved Senator ALEXANDER " THE EXPERIMENT" KARELIN, of Novosibrisk, as Chief Negotiator at the Meeting in ISTANBUL with Ukraine & USA.
Shocking Footage Released: Diddy Caught Dragging Cassie in Brutal Hotel Hallway Assault
Starlink Now Profitable: SpaceX Hits Major Milestone with $11.8 Billion in Revenue
Portuguese Right-Wing Leader Collapses During Campaign Rally
A Pakistani imam in Italy gave a sermon stating that every Muslim should fight the infidels or face ‘catastrophic consequences’.
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
EU Court Orders Disclosure of von der Leyen’s Texts with Pfizer CEO Over €35 Billion Vaccine Deal
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
Mexican Influencer Valeria Márquez Killed During Livestream in Suspected Femicide
This man went to take $5,000 out his own bank account and was arrested for it
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
CIA Files Reveal Klaus Barbie's Role in Bolivian Drug Trade and Dictatorship Support
Daughter of crypto boss escapes Paris kidnap in latest in series of attacks
U.S. FDA to Remove Oral Fluoride Supplements for Children Amid Gut Health Concerns
Kim Kardashian Testifies in Paris Robbery Trial, Tells Gang Leader: 'I Forgive You'
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Challenges Facing EU Foreign Policy Amidst Diverging Interests
Reports Reveal Alarming Cognitive Decline in Biden Prior to Election Withdrawal
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
South Africans chant call to genocide against White people.
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Flip flop: UK Introduces New Immigration Policy to Reduce Net Migration
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Poland Tightens Immigration Policy with New Plan to Suspend Asylum Law
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
8-Year-Old Orders 70,000 Lollipops Using Mother’s Phone, Prompting $4,200 Amazon Bill and Viral Facebook Plea
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
American citizens account for 70% of worldwide pharmaceutical sales despite comprising only 4% of global population
New Details Emerge on Syrian Attacker's Motives in German Festival Stabbing
Brazil’s President Aims to Strengthen Ties with China Amid US Trade Tensions
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
First White South Africans Resettled in the U.S. Amid Controversy Over Persecution Claims
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
India and Pakistan Agreement on Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Tensions
Arsenal Stages Comeback to Draw 2-2 Against Liverpool in Premier League Clash
Trump's Upcoming Visit to Gulf Nations: Investment and Security at the Forefront
Rodrigo Duterte Awaits Trial at The Hague. Next week he might be elected mayor of his hometown
Trump fires director of U.S. Copyright Office, sources say
Retired British police officer arrested over ‘thought crime’ tweet
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested at ICE Facility Amid Congressional Visit
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
×