The Germans seized far more items during the search of Volodymyr Z.’s residence than they had originally requested. The Polish prosecutor’s office did not grant consent for this in time, yet the items were still taken abroad. The defender of Volodymyr Z. revealed new details about the search involving German services during a broadcast on TV Republika.
On September 30 this year, a Ukrainian citizen was detained by Polish authorities under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Germany. The German judiciary accuses him of involvement in the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipelines on the floor of the Baltic Sea.
Speaking on TV Republika, Tymoteusz Paprocki outlined the details of the search of Volodymyr Z.’s residence. The incident took place in 2024, when the suspect was not at home.
The lawyer explained that, according to information provided by his clients, around 20 people appeared in the town near Warsaw, including several representatives of various German services accompanied by a translator.
The defender of Volodymyr Z. pointed out that during the operation, the services secured items belonging to his client under a European Investigation Order (EIO).
They took much more
Paprocki confirmed media reports that a range of equipment was seized during the search and transported to Germany.
He noted that the German side had originally requested only telecommunication devices, such as a phone or computer. In the end, however, they also took, among other things, diving gear and tools used for business activities.
“According to the prosecutor’s decision, there was initially no consent to seize these additional items,” explained attorney Paprocki.
The lawyer added that the prosecutor’s office could have subsequently granted permission for the seizure, but only within seven days – which did not happen.
“No formal decision was issued approving this search in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” he explained.
The TV Republika guest added that the seized items were handed over to the German side and taken out of Poland.