Sabotage of Nord Stream: Swedish prosecutors close their investigation without prosecution

Europe 1 with AFP 11:32 a.m., February 7, 2024

The Swedish prosecutor's office announced on Wednesday that it would close its investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022, considering that it was not within its remit. “The conclusion of the investigation is that it is not within the jurisdiction of Swedish jurisdiction and that the investigation must therefore be closed,” said Swedish prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist in a press release, specifying that he had shared the elements of his investigation with German judicial authorities.

Three investigations opened by Germany, Sweden and Denmark

“There is no indication that Sweden or Swedish citizens were involved in this attack which took place in international waters,” he adds. Four huge gas leaks preceded by underwater explosions occurred on September 26, 2022 a few hours apart on Nord Stream 1 and 2, pipelines connecting Russia to Germany and transporting most of Russian gas to the 'Europe.

Three investigations had been opened, in Germany, Sweden and Denmark. The Swedish investigation is the first to be completed. The “main hypothesis is that a state is behind” the sabotage, Swedish prosecutor Ljungqvist said in April 2023, adding that its authors knew “very well that they would leave traces”. Judicial cooperation with Denmark and Germany has been “good”, underlines the prosecutor on Wednesday.

Three countries suspected

“As part of this legal cooperation, we were able to hand over documents that can be used as evidence in the German investigation,” added Mats Ljungqvist. In a separate statement, Swedish intelligence said the investigation was opened "to determine whether the sabotage was aimed at Sweden and thus threatened the country's security, and it was established that this was not the case." ".

Responsibility for the explosions was attributed, according to different media investigations, to Ukraine, Russia or the United States, but all denied it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in particular, has repeatedly denied that his country could be involved. “I would never do that,” he told German daily Bild last June, adding that he “would like to see proof.”