Six Georgian nationals were sentenced in France on June 12-13, 2026, to prison terms of up to seven years for stealing rare editions of Russian literary classics worth millions of euros from prestigious French libraries [1, 2].
The stolen collections included rare books by Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, and Mikhail Lermontov. The thefts occurred in 2023 at the Diderot Library of the École Normale Supérieure in Lyon, the National Library of France (BnF), and the University Library of Languages and Civilisations in Paris [1, 2].
Authorities said the thefts were massive, well organized, and executed with meticulous planning and cynicism. The suspects gained access by consulting, photographing, and measuring the rare works before swapping originals with near-perfect copies [1, 2].
Mikheil Z., 50, who received the longest sentence of seven years plus a lifetime ban from entering France, made 40 visits to the National Library of France in 2023 under the pretext of research, mainly requesting Pushkin manuscripts [1, 2].
Beqa T., 49, was sentenced to four years in France on top of a prior three years and six months prison term in Estonia. Mikheil Z. had also been previously convicted in Lithuania and sentenced to three years and four months for similar crimes involving €606,000 worth of stolen books [1, 2].
Two other defendants were sentenced in absentia after arrests in Georgia, which does not extradite its citizens. The thefts sparked a joint Europol and Eurojust investigation team, leading to multiple arrests across Europe in 2024 [1, 2].
The prosecutor described the operation as "massive, organised, planned and executed with meticulousness and cynicism" [2].
The sentencing concludes the judicial process for the 2023 thefts, with convicted individuals beginning their prison terms shortly.
