Germany shows interest in Nord Stream investigation after Sweden quits
2 Min Read
Swedish public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist says the materials have now been handed over to Germany for its role in the investigation.
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A painting showing the Nord Stream pipelines is displayed on a container near the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, July 20, 2022. (AP)
German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit announced that Germany is interested in leading the investigation of the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage.
This comes mere hours after Sweden confirmed through the Swedish Prosecution Authority that it has ended its investigation into the incident, with one of the reasons being that the damage was not directed against Sweden specifically.
In a statement, the authority said: "The conclusion of the investigation is that Swedish jurisdiction does not apply and that the investigation, therefore, should be closed". It added: "...the authorities have a clear view of the incident and that nothing has emerged to indicate that Sweden or Swedish citizens were involved in the attack."
Around a year ago, Sweden announced that the explosions that targeted Nord Stream pipelines, carrying natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea in September, were acts of sabotage.
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That said, Swedish public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist says the materials have now been handed over to Germany for its role in the investigation.
"We are still very interested in this crime being solved. It is also obvious that we have taken note of what the Swedish investigators reported today," Hebestreit told reporters.
Ljungqvist said in a statement at the time, "The analyses conducted found traces of explosives on several foreign objects" found at the sites of the blasts," adding that technical analyses were still undergoing to "draw more reliable conclusions regarding the incident."
