Amsterdam museum ordered to return Crimean artifacts to Ukraine

The court in Amsterdam ruled on Wednesday that the Allard Pierson Museum in the city must return treasures from four Crimea museums to the Ukraine. The lawsuit was filed by the four Crimea museums as well as the state of Ukraine, AT5 reports.

The Crimea museums loaned hundreds of artifacts to the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam in 2014 for an exhibition titled Crimea - Gold and secrets of the Black Sea.

While the exhibition was ongoing, Russia annexed the Crimea. This left the Allard Pierson Museum with the dilemma of who to return the loaned treasures to - the Crimea museums, and therefore straight into the hands of Russia, or the Ukraine in the hands of Kiev.

The court now ruled that the treasures should be returned to the Ukraine and the Kiev.