Ukrainian Suspect for Nord Stream Could be Extradited
Vladimir Zhuravlev may be handed over to Germany, but the decision of the Pula court is subject to appeal
A three-member panel of the Pula District Court ruled that Ukrainian citizen Vladimir Zhuravlyov could be extradited to Germany, where he is being investigated for alleged involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in 2022. The decision was announced by the Croatian “Vecerni List”.
Zhuravlev was detained in Pula in August on a European arrest warrant issued by German authorities. According to the German prosecutor's office, he is a professional diver who is suspected of having been involved in the placement of explosive devices on the gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
German materials claim that the group acted “on the order and with the approval of state authorities of Ukraine.” Kiev denies that the Ukrainian state was involved in the sabotage.
Initially, the German arrest warrant was linked to the crime of sabotage, but the charge was subsequently reworded as a "war crime - assault on civilian objects." The change also led to the postponement of the previous hearing of the Croatian court.
According to the Evening List, Zhuravlev arrived in Pula from Poland with a false identity. According to sources, he was a consultant in the filming of the film "Snake Island", dedicated to the case "Nord Stream", which was starred by the American actor Sean Penn.
The court's decision can be appealed within three days before the Supreme Criminal Court of Croatia. The court itself in Pula confirmed only that the decision was handed down and sent to the prosecutor's office and the defense, and its full text will be provided to Zhuravlyov after translation into Ukrainian.