In France, a group that kidnapped rare editions of Pushkin and Gogol from European libraries was convicted 0 16

In France, one of the most unusual criminal trials of recent years has concluded, related to the theft of rare books from the largest European libraries.

A court in Paris found six citizens of Georgia guilty in a case involving the theft of valuable editions of works by Russian classics. The convicted received various prison sentences, and the main defendant, Mikhail Z., was sentenced to seven years in prison.

According to the investigation, the crimes were organized and meticulously planned. The scheme was relatively simple: the perpetrators posed as researchers, gained access to rare books, studied them, and prepared high-quality copies. Then, the originals were discreetly replaced with forgeries.

Among the stolen works were rare editions of books by Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, and Mikhail Lermontov.

The investigation revealed that the criminals operated not only in France. Similar thefts were recorded in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Estonia. As a result, an international investigative group was formed with the participation of Europol and Eurojust.

Particular attention was drawn to the activities of Mikhail Z., who visited the National Library of France about 40 times in just a few months. It was later discovered that nine rare editions had been replaced with copies. The damage was estimated at approximately 650,000 euros.

During the investigation, the accused admitted to the thefts but denied involvement in an organized group. He claimed that he sold the stolen books in Russia for personal gain.

This case attracted attention not only due to the amount of damage but also because of the chosen target of the criminals. Unlike typical art thefts, the focus here was on rare 19th-century books, many of which hold cultural and historical value.

Investigating judges also considered the possibility that the thefts could be linked to attempts to return cultural heritage objects to Russia that are in European collections. However, no conclusive evidence for this version was presented.

Despite the arrests and sentences, the fate of the books themselves remains unknown. None of the stolen editions have been found to date.

The investigation, which spanned several countries in Europe, demonstrated how vulnerable even the largest libraries in the world can be to well-prepared criminal groups hunting for rare cultural treasures.