Italian Court Upholds Appeal, Halts Handover of Nord Stream Sabotage Suspect to Germany
Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating 2022 attacks on Nord Stream gas pipelines will not be handed over to German authorities for now.
A Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, identified only as Serhii K.
under German privacy laws, has won a reprieve in his legal battle after Italy’s top court upheld an appeal against his transfer to Germany.
The Court of Cassation, Italy’s highest court, supported the defense's argument that there had been 'incorrect legal classification of the facts underlying the European Arrest Warrant,' according to Serhii K.'s lawyer Nicola Canestrini.The suspect was arrested in August near the Italian town of Rimini on a European warrant over the explosions that crippled the pipelines in the Baltic Sea supplying Russian gas to Germany.
He is described by both Moscow and the West as an alleged perpetrator of sabotage, which largely severed Russian gas supplies to Europe last September.
The escalation prompted significant tensions within the Ukraine conflict and exacerbated energy supply issues across the continent.Serhii K., who was part of a group accused of planting devices on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, faces charges of collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of important structures.
He had appealed against his extradition to the German authorities, and following the Court of Cassation's decision, his lawyer stated that he will assess whether conditions exist for requesting Serhii K.'s release due to the removal of legal grounds for detention.The case will now have to be reconsidered by a court at an as-yet-undetermined date.
The exact details surrounding the sabotage remain under investigation, with no party having claimed responsibility and Ukraine denying any involvement.
The ongoing legal proceedings underscore the complex nature of international relations in response to significant acts of energy infrastructure sabotage.
under German privacy laws, has won a reprieve in his legal battle after Italy’s top court upheld an appeal against his transfer to Germany.
The Court of Cassation, Italy’s highest court, supported the defense's argument that there had been 'incorrect legal classification of the facts underlying the European Arrest Warrant,' according to Serhii K.'s lawyer Nicola Canestrini.The suspect was arrested in August near the Italian town of Rimini on a European warrant over the explosions that crippled the pipelines in the Baltic Sea supplying Russian gas to Germany.
He is described by both Moscow and the West as an alleged perpetrator of sabotage, which largely severed Russian gas supplies to Europe last September.
The escalation prompted significant tensions within the Ukraine conflict and exacerbated energy supply issues across the continent.Serhii K., who was part of a group accused of planting devices on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, faces charges of collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of important structures.
He had appealed against his extradition to the German authorities, and following the Court of Cassation's decision, his lawyer stated that he will assess whether conditions exist for requesting Serhii K.'s release due to the removal of legal grounds for detention.The case will now have to be reconsidered by a court at an as-yet-undetermined date.
The exact details surrounding the sabotage remain under investigation, with no party having claimed responsibility and Ukraine denying any involvement.
The ongoing legal proceedings underscore the complex nature of international relations in response to significant acts of energy infrastructure sabotage.