German Court Rejects Bid to End Kuznietsov's Nord Stream Trial
The court said German law does not bar testimony from a defendant bound by foreign military secrecy rules.
- On Tuesday, a German court rejected a defense request to end the trial of Serhii Kuznietsov, a former Ukrainian army officer accused of sabotaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
- Kuznietsov, 50, faces charges including causing an explosion and being an "accomplice to war crimes" for allegedly attacking civilian infrastructure during the 2022 sabotage of the pipelines.
- Defense lawyers argued that as an active duty soldier, Kuznietsov is legally bound by Ukrainian national security secrecy, preventing him from testifying under German law.
- The suspect allegedly detonated at least four bombs at depths of 70 to 80 meters near the Danish island of Bornholm, constituting one of Europe's largest acts of sabotage.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied allegations that his country was involved in the blasts, which targeted the Nord Stream routes that previously supplied Russian gas to Europe.
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32 Articles
The proceedings against Sergei Kuznetsov in the North Flow Battery case will continue, and the Hamburg Court rejected the request of the lawyers to close the case because of the restrictions imposed by the State secret Ukraine.
A Hamburg court on Tuesday decided to continue the trial of a Ukrainian accused of orchestrating the bombing of Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines, which carried gas to Germany. The court rejected a defense request to dismiss the case.
A fair trial was impossible, because his client had to comply with secrecy rules as an ex-officer – so the defendant's lawyer justified his application for trial. He could not enforce himself.
The defense of the North Stream suspect wants the trial to be terminated. This is justified by the obligation of secrecy imposed on the former officer under Ukrainian law. However, the court does not allow this to apply.
German court rejects bid to end Ukrainian ex-officer's trial over
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — A German court on Tuesday rejected a defense request to end the trial of a former Ukrainian army officer who is accused of damaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines built to carry Russian
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