Chinese lawyers vow to carry on despite French court rule on looted bronzes

Source: Xinhua | 02-25-2009 08:05

BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Despite losing a bid in a Parisian court to stop two looted bronze sculptures from being auctioned at Christie's, Chinese lawyers pledged to continue their efforts to halt the sale.

Ren Xiaohong (R), a lawyer for the Association for the  Protection of Chinese Art in Europe (APACE), the plaintiff,  speaks to the media with her colleague Ayagh at the Tribunal  de Grande Instance in Paris, capital of France, Feb. 23, 2009.  The Paris court on Monday ruled against stopping the sale of  two looted Chinese bronze sculptures which come up for auction  at Christie's on Wednesday.(Xinhua/Zheng Suchun)

"We are disappointed about the French court rule on Monday but we have to accept it," Li Xingfeng, one of the 81 Chinese lawyers that participated in the project, told Xinhua here Tuesday.

A motion was filed to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris last Thursday, seeking an injunction to stop the auction at Christie's, by the plaintiff, the Association for the Protection of Chinese Art in Europe (APACE).