What does the Louvre jewel heist have in common with the theft of heritage copies of 19th-century Russian authors from several prestigious libraries in Paris and Lyon? In both cases, the haul is still nowhere to be found. But in the case of the books, the courts have only just delivered their verdict.
Six Georgian nationals have been sentenced in Paris to terms ranging from 18 months’ suspended jail to seven years in prison for the theft of classics of Russian literature. Among the items stolen were works by Alexander Pushkin, including a first edition of "Boris Godunov" (1825), as well as texts by Mikhail Lermontov and Nikolai Gogol – a "genuine treasure theft", according to the prosecutor, who in his submissions spoke of a "massive, organised operation, planned and carried out with meticulous care and cynicism".
The case is part of a wave of thefts targeting libraries across Europe since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a wave which has been attributed to an organised network potentially linked to Moscow.
The six defendants – five men and one woman – were all found guilty overnight from Friday to Saturday of criminal conspiracy to commit an offence, with some also convicted of stealing cultural property on display.
