Court Hearing on Crimea's Scythian Gold to Be Held January 21: Official

MOSCOW, January 5 (Sputnik) — The first court hearing regarding the return from Netherlands of a collection of golden Scythian items belonging to four Crimean museums will be held on January 21, an official representative of the University of Amsterdam, which is the owner of the Allard Pierson Museum where the collection was exhibited, told RIA Novosti Monday.

“The first hearing will take place on January, 21” Yasha Lange said, adding that the Allard Pierson Museum is keeping in touch with all the parties concerned through their legal representatives.

A collection of more than 1,000 gold items was sent to the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam in February 2014 for an exhibition titled "Crimea: Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea." The precious metal artifacts came from five Ukrainian museums, four of which are located in Crimea.

In March, following Crimea's reunification with Russia, the Ukrainian government demanded the entire collection be returned to Kiev. Crimea has dismissed the claims.

The exhibition closed on August 31, but the items remain in the Netherlands. Late in November, the four Crimean museums filed a lawsuit to a court in Amsterdam demanding that the Allard Pierson Museum met its contractual obligations and return the Crimean part of the collection.