Jawad and Zeina Adra are being sued by Iraq for illegally acquiring antiquities. Political, security and diplomatic interventions with the Iraqi government to resolve their problem have not yet yielded results.

 The former Deputy Prime Minister and her husband got involved in the field of research and studies through their company “International Information”.

Two political activists

Jawad Adra's name has been presented on several occasions as one of the candidates for head of government and ministry. As for his wife, Zeina Akar, she was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in the government of former President Hassan Diab. Their activities are numerous and their relationships multiple, but the main "field" of the work of the Adra family is the field of archeology, which they have been collecting for many years, before opening in 2018 the Nabu museum in the Region of Heri in Northern Lebanon. The two were keen to pay great attention to the organization of celebrations and exhibitions, with political and diplomatic sponsorship, especially from the American and British embassies in Lebanon.

The creation of the museum was not only a "cultural event", but was accompanied by a great controversy related to the accusation of its owners of exhibiting Iraqi and Syrian objects acquired by illegal means. Jawad Adra has attempted to defend himself in private interviews and in the press by suggesting that the reason for the "campaign against him" was a dispute over ownership of the land where the museum was built.

There are around 25 lawsuits between Adra and her partners on the one hand, and the Rassi family ( Sonia Franjieh Rassi's family) on the other. It varies between encroachment on the public domain, forgery and slander… Adra considers himself a “benefactor”, contributing to the return and preservation of antiques to the Middle East region by displaying them, stressing that he does not bring in a piece of antiques in Lebanon without informing the Ministry of Culture, the General Directorate of Antiquities and customs. He is portrayed as a victim of a "gang of archaeologists", and therefore "rumors" circulate against him. But the case against the couple in Iraq goes beyond the framework of "revenge for their success".

Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Dr Hassan Nazim, insists on the return of antiques. Initially, the Adra family responded to the request, and an international police delegation - "Interpol" was supposed to receive the antiques and return them to Iraq. The mission failed after Jawad and Zeina bypassed the deal, preferring to negotiate with the Lebanese authorities to resolve the problem "out of court" with Iraq, in a settlement based on keeping the antiques with them on the basis that they preserve them while returning them would expose the antiques to the risk of being sold or stolen! Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi conveyed the message to Hassan Nazim, who refused it. The Minister of Culture is at the forefront in the defense of Iraqi antiquities in the world to restore them. After the Adra family violated the agreement, Nazim asked Interpol to issue a Red Notice against Jawad and Zeina (which serves as the International Wanted Persons Notification) to force them to return the antiques. Currently, mediations are taking place at the highest levels and great pressure is being exerted on Al-Kazemi to resolve the issue. It is reported that Zeina Akar Adra when she visited Iraq during her ministerial tenure met with the Minister of Culture, but she distributed a press release mentioning her meeting only with the Iraqi Minister of Defense.

After Adra family violated the agreement, Nazim asked Interpol to issue a Red Notice against Jawad and Zeina (which serves as the International Wanted Persons Notification) to force them to return the antiques. Currently, mediations are taking place at the highest levels and great pressure is being exerted on Al-Kazemi to resolve the issue. It is reported that Zeina Akar Adra when she visited Iraq during her ministerial tenure met with the Minister of Culture, but she distributed a press release mentioning her meeting only with the Iraqi Minister of Defense. After the Adra family violated the agreement, Nazim asked Interpol to issue a Red Notice against Jawad and Zeina (which serves as the International Wanted Persons Notification) to force them to return the antiques. Currently, mediations are taking place at the highest levels and great pressure is being exerted on Al-Kazemi to resolve the issue. It is reported that Zeina Akar Adra when she visited Iraq during her ministerial tenure met with the Minister of Culture, but she distributed a press release mentioning her meeting only with the Iraqi Minister of Defense. Nazim asked Interpol to issue a Red Notice against Jawad and Zeina (which serves as the international wanted person notification) to force them to return the antiques. Currently, mediations are taking place at the highest levels and great pressure is being exerted on Al-Kazemi to resolve the issue. It is reported that Zeina Akar Adra when she visited Iraq during her ministerial tenure met with the Minister of Culture, but she distributed a press release mentioning her meeting only with the Iraqi Minister of Defense