German court upholds arrest of Ukrainian suspect over Nord Stream blasts

Berlin [Germany], January 16: Germany's Federal Court of Justice said on Thursday that it has dismissed a complaint filed by a Ukrainian suspect against an arrest warrant related to the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline blasts, affirming that the accused will remain in detention in Germany.
The suspect, identified as Serhii K. in the warrant, was arrested in Italy last year and extradited to Germany last November.
According to the court's statement, the arrest warrant, issued in August 2025, charges the individual with having a "coordinating role" within the crew of a sailing yacht used in the attacks.
The investigation alleges that divers operating from the yacht planted explosive devices on three conduits of the Nord Stream pipelines, which were subsequently detonated on Sept. 26, 2022.
In dismissing the suspect's appeal, the court ruled that "general functional immunity" for public officials under international law does not apply in this case, noting that such immunity "does not apply to acts of violence controlled by an intelligence service."
Germany has territorial jurisdiction because the result of the offense also occurred on German national territory, where the pipelines ended, the court said.
Source: Qatar Tribune