Georgian nationals on trial in Paris over library book heists

A trial has begun in Paris involving seven Georgian nationals accused of stealing rare manuscripts and books from prestigious libraries, the newspaper Le Singulier reports.

Among the stolen works are texts by Russian writers Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Gogol. The defendants are charged with involvement in a criminal organization and theft of cultural property, offenses that carry sentences of up to 10 years in prison.

According to reports, the suspects used a sophisticated scheme: they visited reading rooms, photographed pages of rare books, measured them, and recorded distinctive features. They then ordered high-quality replicas and replaced the originals with copies.

Investigators say one of the accused, identified as Mikhail Z., visited the National Library of France (BNF) around 40 times between March and October 2023. He reportedly requested Pushkin manuscripts under the pretext of researching democracy in Russian literature.

“I acted alone out of greed and sold the books to a man named Maxim in Russia,” Mikhail Z. said during questioning, denying the existence of an organized group.

However, investigators have expressed skepticism about his claims. Similar incidents have been recorded in Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. A joint investigative team was formed under the coordination of Europol and Eurojust, with judges suspecting a structured criminal network. None of the stolen works have been recovered so far, Russian media reported.

By Vafa Guliyeva