DUBAI, UAE - The Directorate of Heritage and Antiquities Protection in Duhok has filed a lawsuit against Lexus, alleging the company’s promotional advertisement caused damage to an archaeological site.

Bekas Brifkani, general director of the directorate, told The New Region on Sunday that legal action was taken against the Japanese automaker after one of its vehicles was driven onto the Jerwana Dam Bridge in Sheikhan without permission.

“The company’s car caused damage to the site due to the advertisement,” Brifkani said. “We have filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Duhok and the Sheikhan Court.”

The directorate said the Kurdistan Region’s antiquities laws impose strict penalties for such infractions, and it vowed to take firm action against Lexus.

Following the lawsuit, Lexus removed the advertisement video from its official social media pages.

In response to the allegations, Amanj Amjad, general legal director of Toyota in Iraq, told The New Region that the company’s intention was to promote archaeological sites and that no damage had occurred.

“The vehicle was parked in a public area frequented by visitors,” Amjad said.

In a statement on Sunday, Toyota Iraq said that “when the professional production team arrived at the location designated for filming, they did not find any party responsible for securing and protecting the place.”

“They also did not find any fence or specific instructions on signs at the entrances to the place, while we previously saw pictures showing many families visiting the archaeological landmark,” the statement added.

The company further said that they confirm “that the advertised car was not parked near the dam stone, and there are pictures that indicate this, but the professionalism in filming is what showed the car close to it.”