The Hamburg court denied Nord Stream operators the status of victims in the case of Sergei Kuznetsov
Quick Look
The Higher Regional Court of Hamburg rejected the requests of Nord Stream AG and Nord Stream 2 AG to recognize them as victims in the criminal trial in the case of Ukrainian Sergei Kuznetsov related to the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
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Why It Matters
Explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines occurred on September 26, 2022. Germany, Denmark and Sweden view the incident as targeted sabotage.
The Higher Regional Court of Hamburg announced that it had decided not to allow operators of the Nord Stream gas pipelines to participate as victims in the trial, which will consider the case of Ukrainian Sergei Kuznetsov.
“By decisions of September 30, 2026, the 3rd Criminal Division of the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court refused to admit additional claims of Nord Stream AG and Nord Stream 2 AG for consideration in case No. 3 St 2/26 (“The case of the explosion of Nord Stream gas pipelines”),” the court said in a statement.
Explosions on two Russian gas export pipelines to Europe - Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 - occurred on September 26, 2022. Germany, Denmark and Sweden have not ruled out targeted sabotage. Nord Stream AG, the operator of the Nord Stream, noted that the destruction of gas pipelines is unprecedented, and the time frame for repairs is impossible to estimate. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office initiated a case regarding an act of international terrorism. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the Russian Federation has repeatedly requested data on explosions at Nord Stream, but has never received it.
Open Questions
- What will be the next procedural steps for gas pipeline operators?
- Will new evidence be presented in the case of Sergei Kuznetsov?
