TEHRAN, Jan. 16 (MNA) – Iranian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts has expressed deep concern about reported plans by the British Museum to transfer the ancient Cyrus Cylinder to a library of the Zionist Israeli regime.
Hadi Mirzaei, director general of the General Office of Museums, raised concerns in separate letters addressed to Amir-Hossein Ghareebnejad, vice president for Cultural Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ali-Akbar Mottakan, secretary-general of the National Commission for UNESCO-Iran.
“According to reports, the British Museum plans to transfer the Cyrus Cylinder, currently on display in the United States, to the national library of the occupying regime in al-Quds from October 4 to November 28, 2024,” the letter read.
“The transfer of this historical artifact, which holds global significance, will undoubtedly be inappropriate due to potential risks associated with it,” it added.
Mirzaei also highlighted Iran's intellectual property rights over the Cyrus Cylinder and demanded a ban on its transfer, as well as legal actions based on the 1945 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property.