Polish court extends detention of suspect in Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions
WARSAW
A Polish court has extended the detention of a suspect in the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions, saying he must remain in custody for another 40 days.
Volodymyr Z. was arrested last week on suspicion of sabotage, destruction of property and destruction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline infrastructure.
The pipelines, which for years had shipped Russian gas under the Baltic Sea to Europe, were damaged by huge blasts just months after Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“The court did not grant the prosecutor’s request in its entirety and significantly reduced the application of pre-trial detention from the requested 100 days to 40 days from the date of arrest. This period ends on Nov. 9 at 7.40 am,” said Judge Anna Plaszek, the spokesperson for the District Court in Warsaw.
“The basis for extending pre-trial detention is the provisions binding on Poland regarding the European Arrest Warrant,” she said.
The judge also cited concerns about obstruction, especially since the man was not at his place of residence during the execution of the European Investigation Order and the European Arrest Warrant in 2024, and his whereabouts could not be determined. She added that he uses two passports and can easily leave the territory of Poland and another Schengen country and effectively hide.
Volodymyr Z. was wanted on a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe on suspicion of constitutional sabotage, destruction of property and destruction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The offense is punishable by up to 15 years in prison under German law.
On Monday, dozens of people gathered in front of the courthouse, protesting against the Ukrainian man’s arrest and demanding his release. They carried Polish and Ukrainian flags as well as banners with slogans of support for Volodymyr Z.
The law firm representing the man also collected signatures on letters of support for him. According to his defense attorney, over 2,000 signatures were collected.
The man’s defense attorney, Tymoteusz Paprocki, repeatedly said that he would apply for non-custodial preventive measures, including bail, so that he could be released from prison.
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