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Hamburg court rejects motion to end Nord Stream sabotage trial
The Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg has rejected a defense motion to dismiss the trial of Serhii Kuznietsov, a 50-year-old former Ukrainian military special forces officer. Kuznietsov is accused of being the ringleader behind the September 26, 2022, explosions that damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm.
The defense argued that the proceedings should be terminated because Kuznietsov is bound by secrecy obligations under Ukrainian law. They contended that his former military status prevents him from consulting with lawyers or testifying in court without facing severe penalties in Ukraine. However, the presiding judge ruled that under German law, the defendant is not restricted in his defense and that freedom of speech in Germany is not limited by the service regulations of a foreign state.
Kuznietsov faces multiple charges, including causing explosions, damaging property, disrupting public services, and being an accomplice to war crimes for attacking civilian infrastructure. The prosecution alleges he orchestrated the attack alongside six other perpetrators. The trial is set to continue, with experts from the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) scheduled to testify regarding the cause of the explosions and the resulting damage to the pipelines.
Entities
Baltic Sea · Bornholm · Federal Criminal Police Office · Hanseatic Higher Regional Court · Nord Stream · Serhii Kuznietsov · Serhij Kusnjezow
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 8 SOURCES] The defense argued that the defendant is bound by secrecy obligations under Ukrainian law. www.ostseewelle.de · www.it-boltwise.de · lomazoma.com · www.winnipegfreepress.com · www.n-tv.de · +3 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines sustained four leaks across three pipes. www.ostseewelle.de · lomazoma.com · www.ad-hoc-news.de · www.finanzen.at · www.winnipegfreepress.com · +3 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] The defendant faces charges of war crimes for attacking civilian infrastructure. www.finanzen.at · www.winnipegfreepress.com · mymotherlode.com · sputnikportal.rs · tribunadepetropolis.com.br · +2 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Serhii Kuznietsov is a 50-year-old former officer of a Ukrainian military special unit. www.ostseewelle.de · lomazoma.com · www.ad-hoc-news.de · www.finanzen.at · www.winnipegfreepress.com · +7 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] The explosions occurred on September 26, 2022, near the Danish island of Bornholm. www.ostseewelle.de · lomazoma.com · www.ad-hoc-news.de · www.finanzen.at · www.winnipegfreepress.com · +4 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] The Hanseatic Higher Regional Court rejected the defense's motion to dismiss the trial. www.ostseewelle.de · www.it-boltwise.de · lomazoma.com · www.ad-hoc-news.de · www.finanzen.at · +7 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] A Bundeskriminalamt expert is scheduled to testify about the explosion cause and pipeline damage. www.ostseewelle.de · www.it-boltwise.de · lomazoma.com · www.ad-hoc-news.de · www.finanzen.at · +3 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The defendant is accused of being the ringleader of the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. www.ostseewelle.de · lomazoma.com · www.ad-hoc-news.de · www.finanzen.at · www.winnipegfreepress.com · +6 more