Lawyers for former Ukrainian army officer seek dismissal of charges in 1st day of trial over Nord Stream pipeline blasts

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — Defense lawyers for a former Ukrainian army officer charged with damaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines in blasts four years ago have called for the dismissal of charges in the first day of his trial.The trial that opened Wednesday in Hamburg centers on undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in what is considered one of Europe’s biggest acts of sabotage since World War II.Serhii Kuznietsov, 50, faces charges of causing an explosion, damaging property, disrupting public service and being an “accomplice to war crimes” by attacking civilian infrastructure.His lawyers, making the motion for dismissal, argued that Kuznietsov was still an active duty soldier and as such was obligated by Ukrainian law not to speak for reasons of secrecy linked to national security.As the proceedings got underway at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court, Kuznietsov, dressed in a gray suit and dark tie, kept a calm expression as he sat between two lawyers in black robes. From the dock, Kuznietsov glanced over to a packed visitors area and exchanged smiles with two people.He did not speak during Wednesday’s proceedings, which lasted about two hours, and listened to simultaneous translation from German into Ukrainian through white headphones.After the charges were read out, a judge asked whether Kuznietsov wanted to comment, and his defense lawyers said he did not. They went on to request that all the charges be dismissed.Kuznietsov’s legal team said allegations of war crimes would be better targeted against the Russian forces acting on orders from President Vladimir Putin during the 4-1/2-year-war, citing examples like atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and the kidnapping of Ukrainian children.The defense team also disputed the accusation that the attack was sabotage of civilian infrastructure, with defense lawyer Nicola Canestrini saying the pipelines “were a weapon in the hand of the Russians.”But the crux of their call for dismissal was that Kuznietsov had to keep quiet as a Ukrainian officer.“He is not permitted to speak.

His two immediate superiors told him that he does not have authorization to make any statements — not even to his lawyers,” defense attorney Jes Meyer-Lohkamp told the court, adding that under German law: “Anyone who cannot speak out cannot be convicted.”Meyer-Lohkamp also decried th… HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — Lawyers for former Ukrainian army officer seek dismissal of charges in 1st day of trial over Nord Stream pipeline blasts.