WARSAW — In a high-profile ruling on Friday, a Polish court rejected Germany’s request to extradite a Ukrainian national accused of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions, ordering his immediate release from custody. Judge Dariusz Lubowski ruled that the German application was inadmissible, citing the principle of functional immunity for acts conducted on behalf of the Ukrainian state. “If he was the perpetrator, he is entitled to immunity for actions connected with his official duties,” the judge stated, adding that if Ukraine organized the operation, responsibility would rest solely with the Ukrainian state.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk supported the court’s decision, posting on X that Poland had acted appropriately by denying the extradition. He previously argued that surrendering the suspect to Germany was not in Poland’s national interest, remarking that the issue was “not that the gas pipelines were blown up, but that they were built at all.”German officials declined to comment on the verdict, while Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, speaking in Ankara, emphasized respect for judicial independence. “When rulings are issued, especially abroad, it is not the executive’s role to interfere,” he said.
The Nord Stream explosions in September 2022 severely disrupted Russian gas deliveries to Europe, escalating regional tensions over the war in Ukraine and intensifying Europe’s energy crisis. German prosecutors claim that Volodymyr Zelenskyy., the Ukrainian suspect, was among a group that rented a sailing vessel to plant explosives near Denmark’s Bornholm island. His defense maintains that the accusations are politically motivated and that the destruction of Russian property during wartime should not be treated as a criminal act.
The decision follows a similar development in Italy, where the nation’s top court recently halted the extradition of another Ukrainian suspect, Serhii K., on procedural grounds. Both rulings highlight growing diplomatic sensitivities surrounding Europe’s investigation into the Nord Stream attacks.