Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation upheld a lower court’s ruling that a Ukrainian citizen wanted in Germany on suspicion of sabotage at the Nord Stream gas pipelines can be extradited.
The suspect’s lawyer announced the verdict on Wednesday evening.
The pipelines were decommissioned in September 2022, several months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Who is the suspect, what will happen next?
A 49-year-old man, identified as Serhiy K. Has been in pre-trial detention since the summer and his lawyer said on 31 October that he had begun a hunger strike in protest.
He is wanted in Germany on suspicion of helping to plan and organize sabotage, carrying out explosions and sabotage targeting key infrastructure. The defendant denies the allegations.
It is likely that the man will be handed over to German police in Italy and then flown to Germany.
The case is likely to be heard in Hamburg, at least initially, although if it were to proceed to conviction and then appeal there is a good chance it could eventually end up in Karlsruhe, home of Germany’s highest courts.
Polish court chose another path
In a similar case last month, a Polish court blocked the extradition of another Ukrainian citizen, saying there was a lack of evidence and questioning jurisdiction in the case.
The Polish government also made clear that it does not approve of extradition, although it said the decision rested with the courts.
Six other suspects are still absconding in the case.
Three out of four pipelines became inactive
The sabotage of pipelines running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, with ownership split between Russia’s Gazprom and European energy companies, did not take place in German waters.
Authorities in Sweden, Denmark and Germany launched investigations.
There were a total of four Nord Stream gas pipelines, two twin sets of pipes, known as Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2.
Several explosions in September disabled both of the oldest Nord Stream pipes that were in operation.
They also disabled one of the two new Nord Stream 2 pipes, which were never certified and activated as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
German and European dependence on the Nord Stream pipeline, and Russian gas, was already a controversial issue before the annexation of Crimea and subsequent full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Edited by: Wesley Rahn