A group of arts professionals, including art historian Konstantin Akinsha and Francesca Thyssen Bornemisza, has published an open letter in Le Monde calling for the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to expel Russia for violating its code of ethics. The group threatens to take ICOM to court in France if it fails to act, citing Russia's systematic erasure of Ukraine's cultural identity since the 2022 invasion, including looting of museum collections and destruction of cultural sites documented by UNESCO. Signatories demand the exclusion of ICOM Russia and Russian museum staff involved in looting, and seek either negotiation or legal proceedings in a French court.
This matters because ICOM is a key standard-setting body for museums worldwide, and its failure to expel a member state accused of war crimes against cultural heritage raises questions about the organization's ethical credibility and legal accountability under French law. The push for expulsion highlights ongoing tensions between cultural institutions and geopolitical conflicts, and could set a precedent for how international museum organizations address violations of ethical codes during armed conflicts. The case also underscores the role of legal action in compelling institutional responses to cultural destruction.