Looted Icon of St George returns to Cyprus

An 1829 Greek Orthodox icon of St. George, looted from the village of Karavas, in Cyprus following the 1974 Turkish invasion, is set to be repatriated, after it was confiscated by the Swiss authorities.

Credit: Cyprus News Agency

The icon was confiscated only hours before going to auction in Koller, an auction house in Zurich. The legal process was completed in less than a year, following close cooperation between the Church of Cyprus, Cypriot and Swiss authorities.

The icon is now in Cypriot hands in Switzerland and will be repatriated by a Church of Cyprus representative.

The present owner was not aware that the icon was stolen and accepted to return it to the Cypriot authorities after he learned about its provenance. There are no details about the nationality of the owner or the way he came into possession of the icon.

Author: Tasos Kokkinidis | Source: The Greek Reporter [August 26, 2018]