Germany Kiev worries about detained Nord Stream suspect
The Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinez is concerned about Serhij K., who is in custody in Italy and is accused in connection with the blowing up of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The 49-year-old's wife has reported that her husband is continuing his hunger strike and is now in a critical state of health, Lubinez announced on Telegram. He also published a photo of the meeting with the woman and announced that he had written to the Italian authorities demanding that the fundamental rights of the suspect be respected.
09.11.2025, 11:37
SDA
According to his lawyer, Serhij K., who is to be extradited to Germany for criminal proceedings, is protesting against the detention conditions with his hunger strike. The Ukrainian has been refusing to eat since October 31. Serhij K. has been in pre-trial detention in Italy since the summer.
Human Rights Commissioner Lubinez said that the situation required immediate action. He had therefore also contacted the Italian Ministry of Justice, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno, and others. "We must do everything in our power to protect the Ukrainian's rights. Because the detention of Serhij in a high-security facility under inappropriate conditions is unacceptable and violates the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms," Lubinez said.
Ukrainian demands "healthy prison environment"
In particular, the Ukrainian is demanding the right to an "adequate diet, a healthy prison environment, humane prison conditions and equal treatment with other prisoners with regard to family visits and access to information", his lawyer Nicola Canestrini explained.
K. is considered the alleged mastermind of the attacks on the gas pipelines from Russia in the Baltic Sea three years ago. The federal prosecutor's office accuses him of jointly causing an explosive detonation on the pipelines and anti-constitutional sabotage. He is therefore to be tried in Germany.
Most recently, a court in Bologna granted the Ukrainian's transfer to the German authorities. However, lawyer Canestrini announced that he would take the case back to Italy's highest court and lodge an appeal. This court had already stopped the extradition once before. It is unclear when the next hearing will take place in Rome.
