Paris court hears case against Georgians accused of stealing rare Russian texts
Seven defendants face charges of criminal conspiracy and theft of cultural objects in a case linked to a wider cross-border operation involving French, German, Swiss and Czech institutions.
Seven Georgian nationals are standing trial in Paris, facing charges of criminal conspiracy and theft of cultural objects in connection with the removal of rare Russian literary works from prestigious French libraries. Prosecutors allege the offences were committed by an organised network that targeted institutions in France, Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
The defendants face penalties of up to 10 years in prison. Two are being tried in absentia, while two others, identified as Mikheil Z and Beqa T, were temporarily handed over to France after serving sentences in Lithuania and Estonia respectively. Mikheil Z was sentenced to three years and four months in Lithuania, and Beqa T received three years and six months in Estonia, for similar crimes.
The thefts occurred in 2023 at the Diderot Library of the Ecole Normale Superieure in Lyon, and at the National Library of France and the University Library of Languages and Civilisations in Paris. Investigators state that perpetrators accessed the libraries to photograph and measure rare items, later replacing originals with undetectable copies.
Mikheil Z admitted to stealing works but denied involvement with the other defendants, claiming he acted alone and sold the books in Russia. One stolen edition of Alexander Pushkin’s The Prisoner of the Caucasus was reportedly listed for auction by Russia’s Litfond auction house in June 2024.
French investigating judges suspect the motive may be linked to repatriating Russian cultural heritage amid strained relations between Moscow and Europe. None of the stolen works have been recovered, though the National Library of France maintains it has not given up hope of recovering the texts.
