Italy’s highest court ruled that a Ukrainian national suspected of involvement in the 2022 in the Baltic Sea cannot be extradited to Germany.
The 2022 explosions near Denmark’s Bornholm island made global headlines after they rendered the pipelines inoperable.
The defense team in the case argued that the suspect’s rights had been violated during the legal proceedings, following his arrest.
“In light of today’s outcome, I will assess in the next few days whether the conditions exist to request my client’s release, as the legal basis for his detention has now been removed,” the suspect’s lawyer, Nicola Canestrini added.
The case now goes to another court.
What is the latest on the Nord Stream case?
The 49-year-old suspect was able to successfully halt his extradition through the Court of Cassation in Rom. Federal prosecutors in Germany are seeking to charge him with jointly causing an explosion and committing anti-constitutional sabotage.
German investigators believe the man was one of the masterminds behind the underwater blasts that destroyed parts of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.
The suspect was arrested in late August while on holiday with his family on Italy’s Adriatic coast. A lower appeals court has already approved his extradition. If confirmed, he could be transferred to Germany by the end of next month and tried in Hamburg.
Four leaks were later found in three of the four pipeline strands. Nord Stream 1 had been supplying gas to Germany, while Nord Stream 2 had never gone into service following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A second Ukrainian suspect — a 46-year-old trained diver — , where authorities are still considering Germany’s request for extradition.
The Nord Stream attacks remain , with investigators in several countries pursuing separate but coordinated probes.
Edited by: Wesley Rahn and Roshni Majumdar
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