Italian court considers extradition of Nord Stream blasts suspect
An Italian appeals court will deliberate again on Thursday on the extradition of the alleged perpetrator of the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions in the Baltic Sea.
Italy’s highest court last week sent the case back to the lower court in Bologna, citing procedural errors in the original ruling.
The Bologna court, which gave the green light to the extradition in mid-September, must now rule on the question again, but with a new composition.
The suspect, Serhiy K, is considered one of the alleged masterminds of the attacks on gas pipelines from Russia in September 2022.
He was arrested in Italy at the end of August while on vacation with his family. German prosecutors accuse the 49-year-old of being behind an explosion and unconstitutional sabotage.
The explosions damaged the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines so badly that no gas could be transported there. In total, four leaks were discovered in the pipes.
Previously, Russian natural gas flowed via Nord Stream 1 to Germany, but not at the time of the attack. Construction of Nord Stream 2 was completed but was not yet operational due to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Nord Stream project was a massive investment and infrastructure project for Russia and Germany, but it was heavily criticized for allowing Moscow too much influence over European energy supplies.
