ROME (AP) — Italy’s prime court docket has rejected the extradition to Germany of a Ukrainian man arrested on suspicion of setting off explosions that broken Nord Stream gasoline pipelines between Russia and Germany in 2022, his lawyer stated on Thursday.
Italy’s Cassation Courtroom on Wednesday annulled a earlier determination by a Bologna appeals court docket, which had ordered the extradition to Germany of the 49-year-old suspect, Serhii Kuznietsov.
The Italian prime court docket has now demanded one other panel of the identical appeals court docket to reassess the case, stated Kuznietsov’s lawyer, Nicola Canestrini.
Canestrini stated the motivations of the Cassation court docket’s determination haven’t been filed but and are anticipated within the coming weeks.
“Within the meantime, I’ll consider whether or not the circumstances exist to request my consumer’s launch, for the reason that authorized foundation for detention has ceased to exist,” Canestrini added.
The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which carried Russian pure gasoline to Germany underneath the Baltic Sea till Russia lower off provides on the finish of August 2022. In addition they broken the parallel Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which by no means entered service as a result of Germany suspended its certification course of shortly earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
German prosecutors opened an investigation after the explosions and officers have pointed to an curiosity in clearing up what occurred.
Kuznietsov was detained on a European arrest warrant Aug. 21 at a campground close to the Adriatic coastal metropolis of Rimini, the place he was vacationing along with his household.
Throughout his first listening to confirming his detention, Kuznietsov denied any involvement within the explosions, saying he was in Ukraine the place he was serving within the military as a captain on the time of the blasts.
German prosecutors allege that Kuznietsov organized and carried out the detonation of at the very least 4 bombs between 14 and 27 kilograms (round 31 to 62 kilos) at a depth of 70 to 80 meters (230 toes to 263 toes) within the Baltic Sea close to the Danish island of Bornholm on Sept. 26, 2022, in accordance with the extradition papers.
Polish authorities final month arrested one other Ukrainian citizen who’s suspected of involvement within the undersea explosions. The Warsaw District Courtroom is anticipated to rule on his extradition on Friday, however the determination could be appealed.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated in early October that it was not “within the curiosity of Poland” to extradite the person.
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Claudia Ciobanu in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this story.
