Italian Court Greenlights Extradition in North Stream Pipeline Case
An Italian appeals court has approved the extradition of Serhii Kuznietsov to Germany, suspected of involvement in explosions damaging the North Stream gas pipelines. Kuznietsov opposes the extradition, and his lawyer plans to appeal the decision. The explosions, dated September 2022, strained Europe's energy reliance on Russia.
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In a significant development, an Italian appeals court has sanctioned the extradition of Serhii Kuznietsov to Germany. Kuznietsov, a Ukrainian national, was arrested in August over allegations of orchestrating explosions that compromised the North Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany.
Kuznietsov's legal representative, Nicola Canestrini, has strongly opposed this decision, announcing plans to further challenge the ruling in Italy's highest court. Key grievances include the absence of Kuznietsov from the extradition hearing and the incomplete documentation received from German authorities.
The pipeline damages exacerbated existing geopolitical tensions, as they occurred amidst European efforts to pivot away from Russian energy following Russia's escalation in Ukraine. German investigations remain tight-lipped, though earlier probes revealed explosive traces linked to the incident.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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