Syria’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Hussam al-Din Ala, received three archaeological pieces from the Swiss Museum of Art and History.
The pieces were stolen from Palmyra, registered at UNESCO World Heritage as one of the heritage sites since 1980.
Ambassador Ala said in a statement to SANA that the three artifacts consist of two large stone panels that include a statue, a lion’s head, artistic decorations, and a cylindrical statue of a priest’s head that were confiscated by the Swiss authorities in 2016 after investigations it conducted about smuggling and illegal entry into its lands.
He added that the Swiss authorities then decided to deposit the pieces at the Museum of Art and History in Geneva until they will be returned to their country of origin.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)