Earlier this week in Melbourne, at their 56th annual convention, AHEPA appointed Emanuel Komninos and lawyer Victor Bizanis in charge of the case.
Mr Bizanis said the precise defendant for the case is yet to be established, however there is no evidence of legal documentation from the time allowing Lord Elgin to remove the sculptures from the Parthenon before selling them to the British government.
The legal battle will be an expensive pursuit, Mr Komninos said, however AHEPA has already provided funding of $15,000.
Getting the okay from the Greek government may present difficulties, Mr Komninos said. “The Greek Minister for Culture has made it very clear to me that the Greek government does not wish to go to court,” he said.
Mr Bizanis said he will pursue an appointment in person with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to present their case. “These were a component ripped off one of the great buildings of Europe, the other half is in Athens, it’s a restoration to unite two articles in the appropriate place, which is in the hands of the Greek people,” Mr Bizanis said.