Polish PM opposes extraditing Ukrainian Nord Stream suspect to Germany

As reported by Polish broadcaster Polsat News, Tusk stated that a Polish court will make the final decision on Zhuravlyov’s fate, but he reiterated that the government’s stance is clear.

“It is certainly not in Poland’s interest to charge or hand over this citizen to another country; the decision will be made by the court,” he said.

Tusk added that his role is not to question why Zhuravlyov returned to Poland despite knowing there was a European arrest warrant for him.

He also criticized the construction of Nord Stream 2 pipeline (started after Russia’s illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014), saying the problem for Europe, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland “is not that the pipeline was blown up, but that it was built.”

“Russia, with money from certain European countries and German and Dutch companies, built Nord Stream 2 against the vital interests of all of Europe,” the PM said.

On Oct. 6, a Warsaw court extended Zhuravlyov’s detention for 40 days. That same day, protesters gathered outside the courthouse demanding that he not be extradited to Germany. Zhuravlyov’s lawyers have collected more than 2,000 signatures in his support and plan to ask the court for noncustodial measures, including bail.

On Sept. 30, the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported that authorities in Pruszków, near Warsaw, had detained a Ukrainian national identified as Volodymyr Z. on a German European arrest warrant. He was taken to the Warsaw regional prosecutor’s office for questioning.  

On Aug. 27, German outlets Die Zeit, ARD, and Süddeutsche Zeitung published an investigation naming all suspects in the Nord Stream sabotage. Six Ukrainians received arrest warrants: four divers, an explosives specialist, a ship captain, and the leader of the sabotage team. The probe said a total of seven people took part.