Polish court refuses extradition of Ukrainian national to Germany in Nord Stream case

On Friday, a Polish court refused to extradite Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Shuravlyov to Germany, reports Deutsche Welle. German authorities suspect him of involvement in the sabotage explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in 2022.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had previously stated that extraditing the accused was not in Poland's interest. He emphasized that the mere existence of the Nord Stream pipelines was the problem — not their destruction. Poland has long criticized the pipelines, arguing that they have increased Europe's dependence on Russian gas.

Opposition parties accused Tusk's government of giving in to German demands. Warsaw regional prosecutor Piotr Skiba said that the refusal to extradite was problematic from a legal point of view, but that the Polish court had decided not to grant the German request.

(sie)