Nord Stream suspect lawyer slams Germany over 'unbelievable' prosecution

The lawyer for one of the main suspects in the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines told the Express it was "unbelievable" that Germany was pressing ahead with the prosecution of his client. Tymoteusz Paprocki said his client would not get justice in Germany and would most likely face up to 15 years in jail if extradited.

He also insisted that his client was innocent of the charges and should be freed immediately from prison. A Ukrainian national identified only as "Volodymyr Z" was taken into custody by Polish police on Tuesday, after German prosecutors indicated they would seek his extradition for his alleged involvement in the attack on the gas pipelines on September 26, 2022. Three of the four Nord Stream pipelines were damaged and rendered inoperable by a series of underwater explosions. They were built by the Russian state-owned company Gazprom to deliver up to 110 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas annually across the Baltic Sea to Germany.

Nord Stream 1 came on stream in 2012, while Nord Stream 2 was completed in September 2021 and filled with gas, but was never been commissioned. Germany cancelled its approval process days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

The Germans now have a week in which to formally submit their extradition request, with the case expected to be heard no later than Wednesday next week. But Mr Paprocki said it was "unbelievable" that Germany was pushing ahead with the prosecution, given that Ukraine is at war and the pipelines were owned by a company that is helping to bankroll Putin's military campaign.

"We are talking about the war, we are talking about Ukrainian people, we are talking about Russian aggression towards Ukraine. We should know that every day in Ukraine people die, killed by drones and the Russian army.

"Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 are Russian properties of Gazprom. The company is obviously controlled by the Russian government and it ultimately supports the war in Ukraine financially.

"For me it is unbelievable - I can't imagine a situation where my client or any Ukrainian citizen has go to Germany and is accused of this in democratic Europe. Also, in my opinion it couldn't be a justice process in Germany."

Volodymyr Z has been living for some three years in Poland near Warsaw with his wife and two children. He has a construction business that specialises in ventilation systems. His home was searched last year by both Polish and German police.

His lawyer said he denies any involvement in the bombing and that "he did nothing wrong against the Germans".

Mr Paprocki is optimistic that he can stop the extradition, saying: "I am confident we will be able to demonstrate our position and I firmly believe, ultimately, in Polish justice and the Polish government."

He suspects the case is being driven primarily by German and Russian business interests, given the historically close commercial ties between the two countries.

In 2021, the year before Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany's trade with Russia totalled €60 billion and included gas, oil and cars among many other items.

Mr Paprocki said that if his client is extradited to Germany then this would show that "business transactions between countries are prioritised over compassion and the value of individuals as human beings."

He argued that Germany would be better off "exerting pressure on Russia to end the war and refrain from accusing the Ukrainian people".