A leading antiquities dealer sued The Wall Street Journal on Monday, asserting he had been damaged by an article in May that said he was under investigation for possibly trafficking in artifacts looted by ISIS.
Barry Meier of the New York Times reported, “In the libel suit, the dealer, Hicham Aboutaam, said he has never handled antiquities looted by terrorists and that sales at his Manhattan-based gallery, Phoenix Ancient Art, have plummeted.
“The article reported that authorities in Switzerland, France, Belgium and the United States were investigating Mr. Aboutaam and his older brother, Ali Aboutaam.
“After it appeared, the Toledo Museum of Art returned a $50,000 donation the gallery had made to support an antiquities-related exhibition currently on display there ‘The Berlin Painter and His World,’ the dealer said in an interview.
“Hicham Aboutaam’s ‘personal and professional reputation and business opportunities have been decimated,’ according to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.”
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