An Italian court has ordered the extradition of a Ukrainian man suspected of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions to Germany, according to a ruling reviewed by Reuters on Sept. 16.
The suspect, identified as Serhii K. under German privacy laws, was arrested last month near Rimini on a European arrest warrant. German prosecutors accuse him of being part of a group that planted explosive devices on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
His defense team said they plan to appeal the ruling to Italy’s Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court, arguing that his fundamental rights must not be “sacrificed in the name of automatic judicial cooperation.”
The 2022 blasts, described by both Moscow and Western governments as sabotage, severely damaged the Nord Stream pipelines and cut a major route for Russian gas to Europe, intensifying the energy crisis and escalating the fallout from the war in Ukraine.
The suspect faces charges in Germany including collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of critical infrastructure.
