MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/: The Netherlands’ Supreme Court ruling on the Scythian gold was politicized, but as part of its decision, the court recognized Crimea as part of Russia, Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council (the upper house of Russia’s parliament), said on Friday.
"The Netherlands’ Supreme Court admitted Crimea’s reunification with Russia to justify its decision. Judicially, this very circumstance turned out to be pivotal in this case," the senator wrote on his Telegram channel.
Kosachev referred to the second part of the released ruling where the Supreme Court says that on March 6, 2014, the parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea approved seceding from Ukraine and reuniting with Russia.
"Later, on March 16, 2014, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea held a referendum to vote on reunifying with the Russian Federation. On March 18, 2014, under the treaty on reunification, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea reunited with the Russian Federation," Kosachev said, referring to the decision.
"That is that! Let’s refer to it, let no one doubt it," the lawmaker added.
Nevertheless, he dubbed the court’s decision as politicized.
"The decision to hand the artistic treasures over to Kiev is explained not by the concern about their preservation, but by the intention to demonstrate support for Ukraine so as to spite Russia. The court dismissed the Crimean museums’ arguments, based on Ukraine’s national legislation, that the transfer of the Scythian gold to Kiev would result in a case of ‘force majeure’ related to the danger of destruction, loss or damage of museum exhibits," Kosachev said.
Furthermore, the senator emphasized that the judges in The Hague did not take into account the fact that "Ukraine does not comply with its commitments under the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict," nor did the authorities in Kiev care.
"Regrettably, this was the final authority within the Dutch judicial system. The decision can no longer be appealed," Kosachev stated.
Top Dutch court’s decision
Earlier on Friday, the Netherlands’ Supreme Court ruled that the Crimean museums’ appeal be dismissed and the Scythian gold collection be handed over to Ukraine, thus bringing the ten-year legal process to an end. Under the ruling, Amsterdam’s Allard Pierson Museum, which houses the exhibits, should transfer the collection to Ukraine.
The exhibition ‘Crimea - Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea’ consisting of over 2,000 exhibits from the Scythian Gold collection was on display at the Allard Pierson Museum of the University of Amsterdam between February and August 2014. After the peninsula reunited with Russia in March 2014, uncertainty over custody of the collection arose as both Crimean museums and Ukraine claimed the exhibits. Given this, the University of Amsterdam suspended the return of the artifacts until either the dispute was legally resolved or the parties came to terms.
