Damage to cultural heritage will not be tolerated, the prosecutor of Lamard in Fars Province, Reza Rahimian said, adding the maximum penalty awaits those attempting to damage, steal, or smuggle the country’s heritage and artifacts, according to CHN. Their safeguarding and preservation of national treasures has become a priority of the province’s judiciary, in response to reports by several institutions including Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) provincial office in Lamard on lootings and trespassing national heritage sites, stressed Rahimian. Emphasizing that historical monuments and sites are in fact the identity of a nation, the official added that officers have been specifically trained for the purpose of safeguarding the sites. Damaging, looting, and smuggling relics and ancient artifacts, including unauthorized possession of metal detectors will be subject to legal proceedings and punishable by lengthy prison sentences.
