Theft of Pushkin manuscripts: seven Georgians tried in Paris in June

Seven Georgians will be tried by the criminal court in Paris for the thefts of manuscripts by the 19th century Russian poet and novelist Alexander Pushkin in 2023 in the French capital and in Lyon (Rhône), the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Monday. The hearing will be held from June 9 to 12, specifies the public prosecutor, confirming information from the daily Ouest-France.

The defendants are being prosecuted for “theft of exposed cultural property” and “criminal conspiracy in preparation for a crime”. They face up to 10 years of imprisonment.

A manuscript for 60,000 euros

Among the seven defendants, one has been placed in pre-trial detention, two are under judicial supervision, two are currently incarcerated in Estonia and Lithuania and two are the subject of arrest warrants (national, international and European), further details the Paris prosecutor’s office.

The thefts took place during 2023 in libraries in Lyon and Paris. A source close to the matter told AFP at the time that the works of Russian classical authors had increased in value since the start of the invasion in Ukraine, against a backdrop of nationalism. One of the manuscripts was notably estimated at the time at 60,000 euros.