A Ukrainian citizen suspected of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream explosions has started a hunger strike while in custody in Italy. His condition is reportedly critical, and Ukraine is now demanding protection of his rights.
The 49-year-old suspect, identified as Serhii K., has been held in pre-trial detention in Italy since his arrest in the Rimini region in August. He has been on a hunger strike for ten days, demanding better detention conditions, citing inadequate food, limited family visits, and insufficient medical care. His lawyers, together with Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, have called on the Italian judiciary to intervene.
Ukrainian officials stressed that Serhii K. is a Ukrainian citizen whose rights must be protected while awaiting an expected extradition to Germany.
The investigation into the Nord Stream explosions is ongoing, with Germany seeking to hold several individuals accountable. Serhii K. is considered a key coordinator of the attack, which on September 26, 2022, destroyed both sections of Nord Stream 1 and one section of Nord Stream 2. The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office has charged him with, among other offences, joint instigation of an explosion and unconstitutional sabotage.
