Denmark refused German investigators help in Nord Stream probe, indictment reveals

German investigators encountered an unexpected obstacle in their probe into the Nord Stream pipeline explosions, as Danish authorities reportedly refused to cooperate with requests for assistance. According to a previously undisclosed 108-page indictment prepared by German prosecutors, Danish institutions declined to aid German federal police in carrying out investigative actions on the islands of Bornholm and Christiansø.

The German legal document, dated June 26, details findings from years of investigation into the "massive political sabotage." It highlights that German investigators wished to question port captains and yachtsmen who might have witnessed the yacht allegedly used by the pipeline bombers in mid-September 2022. However, these standard investigative steps were not permitted everywhere.

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Danish authorities refused to carry out investigative actions on Bornholm and Christiansø islands due to a potential threat to Danish security.

The indictment states that Danish authorities, unlike their Swedish and Polish counterparts, refused to assist the German federal police in their criminal investigation. "Danish authorities refused to carry out investigative actions on Bornholm and Christiansø islands due to a potential threat to Danish security," the German prosecutors noted. The Danish Public Prosecutor's Office in Copenhagen reportedly rejected the request for assistance on February 14, 2024.

Experts interviewed by Danish broadcaster DR described the country's decision not to assist its ally as "strange," given the close legal cooperation previously maintained between Denmark and Germany. Law professor Birgit Feldtmann acknowledged that Copenhagen has the right to reject legal assistance requests, even from fellow EU members and close allies like Germany. "Such a request can be rejected if its fulfillment could pose a threat to Danish interests. This is a legitimate basis," Feldtmann explained.

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Such a request can be rejected if its fulfillment could pose a threat to Danish interests. This is a legitimate basis.