PixelPenguin
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Poland has refused to extradite a Ukrainian man suspected by Germany of sabotaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, according to a Polish judge. The suspect, Volodymyr Zhuravlyov, was detained last month on a European arrest warrant and had been held in custody for three weeks. Judge Dariusz Lubowski ruled that Zhuravlyov could not be extradited due to the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The judge described the Russian invasion as "a bloody and genocidal attack" and argued that Ukraine had a legal right to defend itself, quoting Aristotle and Saint Thomas Aquinas. According to the judge, if Ukraine took actions to destroy enemy pipelines, those actions would be justified, rational, and just.
Zhuravlyov is a deep-sea diver with no military role, according to his wife, who also stated that he had no involvement in the sabotage. He has been accused of "unconstitutional sabotage" along with others, but Poland's decision not to extradite him raises questions about the jurisdiction of Germany and whether Ukraine was involved.
Poland's government, which is a key ally of war-torn Ukraine, immediately supported Judge Lubowski's ruling, calling it a "case closed". The Polish prime minister stated that he was happy with the verdict, describing it as "just" in light of Russia's actions.
The judge described the Russian invasion as "a bloody and genocidal attack" and argued that Ukraine had a legal right to defend itself, quoting Aristotle and Saint Thomas Aquinas. According to the judge, if Ukraine took actions to destroy enemy pipelines, those actions would be justified, rational, and just.
Zhuravlyov is a deep-sea diver with no military role, according to his wife, who also stated that he had no involvement in the sabotage. He has been accused of "unconstitutional sabotage" along with others, but Poland's decision not to extradite him raises questions about the jurisdiction of Germany and whether Ukraine was involved.
Poland's government, which is a key ally of war-torn Ukraine, immediately supported Judge Lubowski's ruling, calling it a "case closed". The Polish prime minister stated that he was happy with the verdict, describing it as "just" in light of Russia's actions.