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Italy's Top Court Clears Extradition of Ukrainian Nord Stream Suspect to Germany

The ruling sets up a transfer within days for a German case built on allegations of organized underwater bombings.

Overview

  • Italy's Court of Cassation approved the handover, with the defense saying the suspect will be surrendered to German authorities within days.
  • The suspect, 49-year-old Serhii Kuznietsov—identified in Germany as Serhii K.—was arrested on Aug. 21 at a campground near Rimini under a European warrant and later staged a hunger strike over jail conditions.
  • German prosecutors intend to pursue charges including collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage and destruction of important structures.
  • Extradition documents allege he organized the placement and detonation of multiple 14–27 kilogram charges near Bornholm and used forged identity papers to charter a yacht from Rostock.
  • He denies involvement, asserting he was serving in Ukraine at the time, as a Polish court recently blocked Germany's extradition request for a different Ukrainian suspect.