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Paris Court Sentences Georgians for €770K Russian Book Heist

6/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

A Paris court sentenced six Georgian nationals for stealing 19th-century Russian books from French libraries.
The court imposed sentences from an 18-month suspended term to seven years, barred main offender from France, and reported that thieves swapped originals with fakes, causing a €770,000 loss to the BnF.
Magistrates suggested the thefts may be part of a Russian heritage repatriation effort, noting a 2024 auction listing of a stolen Pushkin poem.

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Story summary

A Paris court sentenced six Georgian nationals for stealing 19th-century Russian books from French libraries.
The court imposed sentences from an 18-month suspended term to seven years, barred main offender from France, and reported that thieves swapped originals with fakes, causing a €770,000 loss to the BnF.
Magistrates suggested the thefts may be part of a Russian heritage repatriation effort, noting a 2024 auction listing of a stolen Pushkin poem.