Rome: Italy’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, has temporarily halted the extradition of a Ukrainian man, identified as Serhii K., who is accused of coordinating the 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The decision came after Serhii K.’s defense challenged the legal basis of his transfer to Germany, arguing that the European Arrest Warrant contained an incorrect classification of the alleged crimes.
Serhii K. was arrested in August near Rimini, Italy, following a European warrant issued by Germany. The German authorities allege that he was part of a group responsible for planting explosive devices on the Nord Stream pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. The blasts, which occurred in September 2022, severely disrupted Russian gas supplies to Europe, escalating tensions in the Ukraine conflict and creating a continental energy squeeze. No party has claimed responsibility, and Ukraine has denied involvement.
The Italian court’s ruling means the case must be reconsidered at a future date, yet to be set. Nicola Canestrini, Serhii K.’s lawyer, said that the decision removes the legal basis for his client’s detention and that he would evaluate the possibility of seeking Serhii K.’s release in the coming days.
The suspect faces serious charges including collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of important structures. Both Moscow and Western nations have described the pipeline explosions as acts of sabotage, highlighting the incident’s international significance. The Italian court’s intervention emphasizes the delicate interplay between national judicial procedures and cross-border legal obligations within the European Union, particularly in politically sensitive cases with broad geopolitical implications.