Petition · past parliament
Return the Elgin Marbles to Greece
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
The Government should enact legislation to ensure the return of the Elgin marbles to Greece. Whilst the Marbles are a work of art in their own right they form a part of a larger wonder of the world and should be reunited with the Parthenon.
The Elgin Marbles were purchased by Lord Elgin from the occupying Ottoman Empire and later sold by him to the British Museum. On the face of it these were not illegal transactions however as the original sale was not sanctioned by the Greek state or the Greek people they amount to the sale of stolen goods. Today, 25th March 2021 is the 200th anniversary of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire and as such it is an appropriate time to return the Marbles to their true owner.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 25 Mar 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 30 Mar 2021 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
30 Mar 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.