Six Georgian nationals appear before Paris courts over theft of rare Russian books
In France, six Georgian nationals are appearing before Paris courts, accused of stealing rare first editions of 19th-century Russian classics, including works by Pushkin and Lermontov.
Six Georgian nationals appear before Paris courts over theft of rare Russian books
Six Georgian nationals appeared before courts in Paris, suspected of participating in a series of rare book thefts spanning across Europe – according to AFP via the magazine Múlt-kor.
The defendants are accused of criminal conspiracy and attempted theft. Some must also answer for the misappropriation of exposed cultural property. If convicted, they face sentences of up to ten years' imprisonment.
The thefts took place in 2023 at the library of the École normale supérieure Diderot in Lyon, at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and at the University Library of Languages in Paris. The suspects had registered as researchers or readers, had requested the precious volumes, and then had replaced the original copies with near-indistinguishable duplicates.
One of the accused, Mikheil Z., aged 50, visited the Bibliothèque nationale de France forty times between March and October 2023, requesting access primarily to manuscripts and rare editions of Pushkin. He claimed to be studying the concept of democracy in 19th-century Russian literature. In November, the library discovered that nine works had been counterfeited: eight linked to Pushkin and one to Lermontov. The damage is estimated at approximately 650,000 euros.
Mikheil Z. admitted to the facts during the investigation, whilst denying any complicity with the other defendants. He stated that he had acted out of greed and had resold the volumes in Russia to a person named "Maxim".
Similar cases have also been reported in Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Europol and Eurojust participated in the creation of a joint investigation team. According to the authorities, manuscripts have disappeared from the libraries of around ten European countries; the number of rare Russian works stolen is estimated at nearly 170. No volumes have yet been recovered.
Source: Google News HU — Crime (hu)