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Six Georgians Sentenced in France Over Theft of Rare Books
A French court has sentenced six Georgian nationals to prison terms of up to seven years for stealing rare 19th-century Russian literary works from French libraries, according to French media reports.
The stolen books, valued at millions of euros, included rare editions of works by Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol and Mikhail Lermontov. Investigators believe the thefts were part of a broader organized operation that targeted libraries across several European countries.
The longest sentence, seven years in prison, was handed to 50-year-old Mikheil Z., who also received a permanent ban from France after serving his sentence. Another defendant, Beqa T., was sentenced to four years in prison. Both men had previously been convicted in other European countries in connection with similar thefts.
According to investigators, members of the group visited libraries to study valuable books, photographing and measuring them before returning to replace the originals with highly convincing copies. The thefts in France took place in 2023 and targeted libraries in Paris and Lyon.
The case forms part of a wider European investigation into a series of rare book thefts reported in France, Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. The probe, coordinated through Europol and Eurojust, led to several arrests in 2024, including in Georgia.
French media reported that some investigators suspect the thefts may have been linked to efforts to return Russian cultural artifacts to Russia, though no definitive conclusions have been announced.
Despite the convictions, none of the stolen books has been recovered.
Tbilisi Court Sentences Exchange Office Owner to 11 Years for Money Laundering
Tbilisi City Court has sentenced currency exchange office owner Kakha Kotorashvili to 11 years in prison after finding him guilty of laundering nearly $700 million between 2022 and 2024.
Prosecutors said Kotorashvili used a National Bank-authorized exchange office to process approximately $624 million and Euro35 million in funds of unexplained origin, disguising them as legitimate business income. Authorities also alleged that large amounts of cash were smuggled into Georgia from neighboring countries and funneled through the scheme.
Kotorashvili was arrested in September 2025. Prosecutors described the case as involving an unprecedented volume of illicit funds.
Defense lawyer Edisher Karchava said his client plans to appeal the verdict. He also noted that efforts to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors were unsuccessful.
The ruling comes months after the National Bank fined companies linked to Kotorashvili GEL 210,000 for regulatory violations.
