According to Ukrinform, Croatian news outlet Index reported this.

“Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Zh. (46), who was arrested yesterday [August 19] on the basis of a European arrest warrant issued by Germany on suspicion of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, has been remanded in custody by an investigating judge at the County Court in Pula,” the report said.

The man was brought before the court on Thursday after being questioned by the County State Attorney’s Office, which requested that he be remanded in custody to ensure his extradition to Germany.

“My client has been remanded in custody at the request of the state prosecutor to ensure his surrender under a European arrest warrant issued by Germany,” the Ukrainian’s lawyer, Matija Miloš, told the publication.

He confirmed that the defense would appeal the decision once the judge issues it in writing. Miloš added that the more important stage would be the subsequent proceedings, during which a judicial panel will decide whether the conditions for extradition have been met.

The lawyer stressed that the Ukrainian would not be extradited to Germany until a decision on the appeal is made. He recalled that Germany is seeking his extradition on the same facts and legal grounds as Poland, where a similar request was rejected in October last year.

“These are the two main reasons that we presented in detail today, and they will be the subject of further consideration,” Miloš said. The defense has three days from the receipt of the written decision to file an appeal.

Police said that Volodymyr Zh. was arrested in the morning of August 19 at a tourist facility in the Pula area. According to unofficial information, the arrest took place at a hotel where he was staying as part of a film crew and was taking part in the production of Snake Island, a film about the Nord Stream sabotage, though not under his real name.

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Streampipelines could have been legitimate target for Ukraine

As reported, Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor General’s Office announced on August 19 that a Ukrainian citizen suspected of sabotage had been detained in Croatia. The suspect is said to be a professional diver and a member of a group that allegedly planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in September 2022. The explosions, which occurred on September 26, 2022, caused severe damage to the pipelines.

Illustrative photo: Freepik