French court jails six Georgians in major rare books theft case

A French court has sentenced six Georgian nationals for their involvement in the theft of valuable Russian literary works from some of France's most respected libraries.

A French court has sentenced six Georgian nationals for their involvement in the theft of valuable Russian literary works from some of France’s most respected libraries, bringing a significant chapter of a wider European investigation to a close. The stolen books, many of them rare editions of works by some of Russia’s most celebrated authors, are estimated to be worth millions of euros and form part of a larger pattern of organised thefts reported across Europe in recent years.

The case has drawn international attention because it highlights the growing challenge faced by libraries and cultural institutions in protecting rare historical collections. Authorities believe the group was part of a sophisticated network that targeted valuable literary works housed in major libraries across several European countries. Investigators have also explored possible links between the thefts and efforts to return Russian cultural artefacts to Russia amid strained relations between Moscow and Europe.

The six defendants, consisting of five men and one woman, were found guilty of participating in a criminal conspiracy aimed at stealing cultural property. Some were also convicted of directly stealing protected items from public collections. Two of the accused were tried in their absence because they had already been arrested in Georgia, which does not extradite its citizens to France.

Among those convicted was a 50 year old man identified as Mikheil Z., who received the harshest punishment. The court sentenced him to seven years in prison and ordered that he be permanently banned from entering France after serving his sentence and being deported. His criminal record already included a conviction in Lithuania, where he was sentenced last year for the organised theft of rare nineteenth century publications valued at more than 600,000 euros.

Another defendant, identified as Beqa T., was sentenced to four years in prison. He had previously received a prison sentence in Estonia for involvement in similar crimes. Both men had been temporarily transferred to France from other countries to face trial in connection with the French investigation.

Prosecutors described the operation as highly organised and carefully planned. According to investigators, members of the group posed as researchers and scholars to gain access to rare collections. They would first examine valuable books, taking photographs and measurements. Later, they returned to replace the originals with expertly produced copies that were difficult to detect, allowing the thefts to go unnoticed for extended periods.

Several major institutions were targeted during the crime spree. The thefts in France occurred at libraries in Paris and Lyon, including the National Library of France, one of the country’s most important cultural institutions. Investigators discovered that between March and October 2023, one of the defendants visited the National Library dozens of times under the pretext of conducting academic research into nineteenth century Russian literature and democracy. During these visits, he gained access to rare manuscripts and first editions.

The theft was eventually uncovered when library staff realised that nine valuable works had been replaced with replicas. The missing books were estimated to be worth around 650,000 euros. Among the stolen items were rare editions of works by some of Russia’s greatest literary figures, including Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, and Mikhail Lermontov.

The investigation later expanded beyond France as authorities uncovered similar thefts in Germany, Switzerland, Estonia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic. The scale of the operation prompted the involvement of Europol and Eurojust, which helped coordinate investigations across multiple countries and led to a series of arrests in 2024.

One particularly intriguing development emerged when a rare edition of Pushkin’s work The Prisoner of the Caucasus appeared in the catalogue of a Russian auction house. French investigators noted that the book closely matched one of the editions stolen from the National Library of France. Although the auction house provided documents claiming the book had been acquired years earlier from a Russian owner, investigators continued examining possible links between stolen European collections and the Russian rare books market.

The case has raised broader concerns about the security of cultural heritage collections across Europe. Authorities believe organised criminal groups are increasingly targeting libraries and archives because rare books can be transported and sold discreetly while commanding extremely high prices. The convictions are being viewed as an important step in protecting valuable historical collections and deterring future thefts from cultural institutions.