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Scholar thief faces jail for £1m damage to rare books in libraries
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent21 Nov 2008
A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE businessman is facing jail after admitting stealing rare pages and plates from books in the British Library.
Harvard-educated Farhad Hakimzadeh, 60, used a Stanley knife to cut out pages, plates and maps from up to 150 historic books.
The Iranian businessman, who has a US passport and lives in Knightsbridge, carried out the thefts at the British Library and the Bodleian Library in Oxford between 1997 and 2003.
Hakimzadeh, a respected scholar and author, smuggled a knife into the libraries to cut out apparently random pages from books dating from the 16th century. The thefts are the most damaging ever at the British Library, estimated at £1 million. Experts say the true figure is far higher.
Hakimzadeh is believed to have been careful to choose spots in the rooms which were out of sight of CCTV cameras as well as being careful to avoid staff overseeing the rooms.
Since the thefts the library has increased the number of staff on patrol in the rooms, increased the number of CCTV cameras and improved “sight-lines” for the cameras.
Dr Kristian Jensen, the head of British collections at the library, said: “These thefts have struck at the very heart of the British Library's historic collections making their loss and the vandalism that accompanied their theft especially harmful.
“These books represent the collective memory of the nation and what he has done has damaged forever that historic record. What makes it worse is that Mr Hakimzadeh is extremely knowledgeable, he knew the importance of what he was damaging.”
Hakimzadeh, of Rutland Gardens, came to Britain after the overthrow of the Shah in Iran in 1979. He pleaded guilty to 14 counts of theft earlier this year and is due to be sentenced at Wood Green crown court tomorrow.
He was arrested last year after an investigation by Camden CID, who were called in by library officials when a reader noticed a damaged book.
Only 14 of the items have been recovered. Police fear the rest may never be found. Hakimzadeh stole pages from books he was an expert on. However, both police and experts say they can find no motive for the thefts.
Reader views (8)
I agree hundred percent with Mr. Kourosh Aghassipour, London. British gentlemen give themselves permission to do whatever firs them, but expect any retaliation from other! Have you seen "Kohe_Nur" diamond in Madame Tussuad's Wax-museum? What is it doing there?
- Mohsen Nourani Vatani, Aarhus, denmark, 16/12/2008 17:16
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The tone of the reporting of this case makes clear why the British are famed for hypocrisy amongst Iranians. Dr Jensen is angered by Mr Hakimzadeh excising a handful of leaves from books on Persia - books that Britain "has invested in over generations, .... objects cared for by this nation for centuries." Perhaps Dr Jensen would now care to advise the British Museum to return to Iran the Cyrus Cylinder and countless other objects of truly incalculable value that "British Gentlemen" have ripped out of Iran's patrimony.
- Kourosh Aghassipour, London, 21/11/2008 10:19
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How do you put a price to irreplacable books?
1000 pounds is ridiculous.
Since he's a millionaire I'd fine him hundreds of thousands, on top of his prison sentence. 1000 is nothing to people like him...
- Swingvoter, london, england, 21/11/2008 10:10
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I was reading a history book the other night, probably written in the 1950s, and noticed some very politically incorrect info. about 18th-century Islam. It was all true, but not meant for today's overly polite society. I realized then that those books will soon disappear from library shelves, by hook or by crook, replaced with nefarious revisions of historical truths, all in the guise of keeping the peace.
- Cylindra, Concord, USA, 21/11/2008 05:47
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Oh my gosh! this is crazy how could someone do such a thing 
all them valuable irreplaceable books all ruined
- Shiney, Oxford, UK, 20/11/2008 23:45
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well...his fine must be £1000.000 plus damages, minimum
- Tony, Eastbourne East Sussex, 20/11/2008 16:52
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If as you say Hakimzadeh is a multi millionare his fine Has to be a basic £1000,000 to cover the estimated damage ............plus damages costs and anything else that can be thought of
- Tony, Eastbourne East Sussex, 20/11/2008 16:50
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If as you say Hakimzadeh is a multi millionare his fine Has to be a basic £1000,000 to cover the estimated damage ............plus damages costs and anything else that can be thought of
- Tony, Eastbourne East Sussex, 20/11/2008 16:50
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