Ukrainian suspected of Nord Stream sabotage goes on hunger strike in Italy

Ukrainian citizen Serhii Kuznetsov, who is suspected of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines and is currently being held in Italy while awaiting a final decision on his extradition to Germany, has gone on hunger strike.

"The defence has informed the competent authorities about the hunger strike declared by the client, a former Ukrainian officer, who is being held in a high-security Italian prison while awaiting a decision on the European arrest warrant issued by Germany in the so-called 'Nord Stream case'," Kuznetsov's lawyer Nicola Canestrini said, as cited by Italian news agency Agenzia Nova.

Canestrini says Kuznetsov has been refusing food since 31 October.

"He is demanding respect for his fundamental rights, including the right to adequate nutrition, a healthy environment, decent detention conditions, and equal treatment with other prisoners regarding family visits and access to information," the lawyer added, noting that since his arrest on 22 August, Kuznetsov has not received food "appropriate to his state of health".

At the end of October, a court in Bologna ruled to extradite Kuznetsov to Germany at the request of local prosecutors. The defence has appealed to the Supreme Court, which must issue a decision within a month.

According to a statement published by the German prosecutor's office in August, Kuznetsov was a member of a group that placed explosive devices on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.

He has been charged with conspiracy to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage, and the destruction of critical infrastructure.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine had nothing to do with the explosions and suggested analysing which parties might have benefited from such disinformation.