Rejected petition Decolonize and Repatriate the Rosetta -Rasheed- Stone

Rejected on 26 September 2022

Due to its historical significance, the Rosetta Stone is an essential part of Egyptian Cultural Heritage and must be repatriated to its country of origin. The seizure of the Rosetta Stone is a spoil of war and an unjust colonial exploitation. The repatriation is the right and the moral thing to do.

The seizure was allowed based on the Capitulation of Alexandria (1801), a treaty which was negotiated and signed by the Ottoman, French, and English generals.
Under the terms of this treaty, the Rosetta Stone was surrendered by the French to the Anglo-Ottoman forces.
Not only Egypt was under the occupation of the Ottoman Empire and had no say or sovereignty over its own cultural heritage, the articles of the treaty are in violation of the customary international laws, applicable at the time.

Why was this petition rejected?

It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.

The repatriation of an item from the collection of the British Museum is a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum, not the UK Government or Parliament.

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.