Mrs Clooney to fight for return of Greek marbles from Britain

 Amal Alamuddin, the lawyer newly wedded to Hollywood star George Clooney, will be in Greece this month to advise on the return of the Parthenon Marbles from Britain, her employers said on Thursday, AFP reports.

The marbles, taken by diplomat Lord Elgin in 1803 and currently held in the British Museum, have been a bone of contention between the UK and Greek governments for decades.

Alamuddin will be accompanied to Athens by her boss at London's Doughty Street Chambers, Geoffrey Robertson.

"Mr Robertson and Mrs Clooney were first asked to provide legal advice to the Greek government on this matter in 2011," the chambers said in a statement.

"They will be holding a series of meetings with government officials during their stay, including the Prime Minister, Mr Antonis Samaras, and the Minister of Culture, Mr Konstantinos Tasoulas."

George Clooney, who married Alamuddin on September 27, backed the return of the Elgin Marbles in February while promoting his film "Monuments Men" about a group that sought to preserve cultural artefacts during World War II.

Asked about the return of the marbles, he told a Greek journalist: "Yes, it would be a good idea. You have right on your side."

That was enough to win the American actor instant gratitude in Athens and an invitation to spend "several days in Greece" from the culture minister.

The marbles are the latest high-profile case for Alamuddin, who has previously defended Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.