Italy suspends extradition of Nord Stream suspect Kuznietsov

Italy's highest court on Wednesday suspended the extradition to Germany of a 49-year-old Ukrainian man accused of coordinating the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, ordering a new review of the case and raising the prospect of his release while proceedings continue. The Court of Cassation annulled a prior appeals court decision that had approved extradition and sent the matter back to another panel of the Bologna appeals court, lawyer Nicola Canestrini said.

Serhii Kuznietsov was detained on a European arrest warrant on August 21 at a campground near the Adriatic city of Rimini while on holiday with his family. He remains held in a high-security prison in northern Italy. Kuznietsov has denied involvement, telling judges he was serving in the Ukrainian armed forces at the time of the blasts. Canestrini said the Cassation Court cited an incorrect legal classification in the European arrest warrant and that the written motivations for the ruling are expected in the coming weeks. He added, "In the meantime, I will evaluate whether the conditions exist to request my client's release, since the legal basis for detention has ceased to exist."