PARIS (AP) — Three men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested this week for the theft of items of silverware and table service worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecutor's office said.
The Élysée Palace’s head steward reported the disappearance, with the estimated loss ranging between 15,000 and 40,000 euros (($17,500-$47,000).
The Sèvres Manufactory — which supplied most of the furnishings — identified several of the missing items on online auction websites. Questioning of Élysée staff led investigators to suspect one of the silver stewards, whose inventory records gave the impression he was planning future thefts.
Investigators established that the man was in a relationship with the manager of a company specializing in the online sale of objects, notably tableware. Investigators discovered on his Vinted account a plate stamped “French Air Force” and “Sèvres Manufactory” ashtrays that are not available to the general public.
Around 100 objects were found in the silver steward’s personal locker, his vehicle and their home. Among the items recovered were copper saucepans, Sèvres porcelain, a René Lalique statuette and Baccarat champagne coupes.
The two were arrested Tuesday. Investigators also identified a single receiver of the stolen goods. The recovered items were returned to the Élysée Palace.
The three suspects appeared in court Thursday on charges of jointly stealing movable property listed as part of the national heritage — an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000-euro fine, as well as aggravated handling of stolen goods.
The trial was postponed to Feb. 26. The defendants were placed under judicial supervision, banned from contacting one another, prohibited from appearing at auction venues and barred from their professional activities.
FILE - People queue to visit the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Saturday, Sept 21. 2019. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu, File)
FILE - Visitors view a table dressed with plates and glasses for official dinners at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. France's national buildings and administrations were opened to the public for Heritage Days weekend. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — International media organizations have joined Serbian journalists in raising the alarm about worsening press freedoms in the Balkan country, including “record levels” of physical violence, online smear campaigns and death threats against reporters.
The partner organizations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists and the Media Freedom Rapid Response groups said in a statement released this week that “the past year had seen a continued deterioration, leaving the country in a prolonged and worsening press freedom crisis.”
The statement warned that “chances of further escalation in the severity of attacks against journalists remain dangerously high."
A delegation visited Serbia on March 26-27, holding meetings with both the media and government representatives.
“The mission came at a time of unprecedented physical attacks on journalists and rampant online smear campaigns, led or amplified by influential members of the ruling party,” the statement said. "The delegation is fearful that journalists are caught in a spiral of violence with few protections in place.”
In response to The Associated Press, the Serbian government's Ministry of Information and Telecommunication said it “condemns any form of violence and attacks on journalists and urges state institutions to react as urgently as possible to identify all the perpetrators who took part in the attacks on journalists.”
The ministry further cited various activities and projects already in place that are aimed at raising awareness and supporting journalists, including a working group, an SOS line and an online platform.
On Wednesday, dozens of Serbian journalists blocked traffic outside the office of Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic, to protest the latest spate of attacks recorded during violence-marred local elections on Sunday.
The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia said that 20 reporters were attacked on Sunday, while around 100 attacks have been recorded so far this year.
International election observers at the balloting said they witnessed violence and irregularities. The vote was held in 10 municipalities throughout Serbia. It was seen as a test for Vucic after more than a year of youth-led protests that first erupted after a train station tragedy in Nov. 2024 that killed 16 people.
While he formally seeks EU membership for Serbia, the increasingly authoritarian Vucic and his government have been accused by rights groups of clamping down on democracy, including media freedoms.
International media groups said in their statement that pressure and attacks on media workers surged since the station canopy collapse in Novi Sad and the start of the student-led mass demonstrations. The group cited “alarming levels of impunity” with hardly any of the perpetrators being held accountable.
“Clear political will is needed to break the downward spiral and ensure all attacks on the media are properly sanctioned under the law,” the statement said.
Serbian journalists block the traffic outside the offices of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in protest of mounting attacks and pressure on the media. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Serbian journalists block the traffic outside the offices of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in protest of mounting attacks and pressure on the media. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Serbian journalists block the traffic outside the offices of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in protest of mounting attacks and pressure on the media. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
