A Polish court has ruled that a Ukrainian diver wanted by Berlin for his alleged role in the explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline must remain in custody while his extradition to Germany is decided, reports „Reuters“, reports News.bg.
The explosions, described by both Moscow and the West as an act of sabotage, have escalated the conflict in Ukraine and cut off energy supplies to Europe. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, and Ukraine denies involvement.
Volodymyr Z. was detained near Warsaw yesterday and will remain in custody for seven days days.
His lawyer, Timotheus Paprocki, announced his intention to appeal the decision. “If someone has been living in a country for three and a half years, the claim of a flight risk does not seem convincing“, he pointed out.“
Yesterday, the defense emphasized that if “the pipeline may be financing Moscow's military efforts“, then no Ukrainian should be punished for its destruction.”
German prosecutors said that Polish police were acting on a European arrest warrant.
The diver is among a group of suspects who, according to the indictment, rented a sailboat in the German port of Rostock and placed explosives on gas pipelines from Russia to Germany, near the Danish island of Bornholm, in September 2022.
German prosecutors said that he was charged with conspiracy to carry out an explosives attack and “unconstitutional sabotage“.
In August, Italian police arrested another Ukrainian suspected of coordinating the attacks. The man, identified as Serhiy K., plans to appeal his extradition to Germany in Italy's highest court after a lower court ruled in his favor.