Croatian court upholds arrest of Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream sabotage case

A Croatian court has ruled to keep a Ukrainian citizen, suspected of involvement in the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, in custody while awaiting a decision on his extradition to Germany. The 46-year-old Ukrainian, identified as Volodymyr Z., was arrested on August 19 based on a European arrest warrant issued by German authorities.

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My client was arrested at the request of the state prosecutor to ensure his transfer under the European arrest warrant issued by Germany.

Prosecutors requested that he remain detained to ensure his extradition. The man appeared before a judge on Thursday, and his lawyer, Matija Miloš, confirmed that the defense will appeal the decision once it is issued in writing. Miloš stated that the extradition conditions will be further reviewed by a panel of judges.

The defense team is optimistic that the Ukrainian will not be extradited to Germany until the appeal process is concluded. They point to a similar request from Poland last October, which was rejected based on the same facts and legal grounds. The defense plans to present these arguments again during the appeal.

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This is a more important stage, the process where the panel of judges will decide whether the conditions for extradition have been met.

Volodymyr Z. was reportedly apprehended at a tourist facility near Pula, possibly while staying at a hotel under a false name with a film crew. German federal prosecutors announced his arrest, identifying him as a professional diver suspected of planting explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September 2022. The explosions significantly damaged the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm.

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The Ukrainian will not be extradited to Germany until a decision is made on the appeal.