A Ukrainian ex-military officer jailed in Italy is on the 10th day of a hunger strike, accusing authorities of mistreating him to extract a confession over Russia's Nord Stream pipeline sabotage in 2022, according to the BBC. Serhii Kuznetsov is now awaiting his final appeal hearing on extradition to Germany, expected within the next couple of weeks.

Hunger strike in high-security Italian jail

Serhii Kuznetsov, detained in August on a German arrest warrant, is fighting extradition from Italy over allegations of involvement in the undersea explosions that hit the Nord Stream pipelines near Bornholm. 

In a handwritten letter shown to the BBC by his lawyer, Kuznetsov described being held in a high-security facility alongside suspected members of ISIS. He said he's being treated as “criminal no.1” and accused Italian authorities of using coercive pressure to force a confession.

“The Italians have been cynically ignoring my dietary habits for the past two months,” he wrote, referring to his vegetarianism. “They think that these restrictions can affect my position, and make me confess my guilt. But such efforts are futile.”

Kuznetsov also described being forced to exercise in isolation, under armed guard, and subjected to what he called “maximum restrictions.”

His lawyer, Nicola Canestrini, said the prison refused food delivered by Kuznetsov's relatives.

“He told me he had lost 9 kg when I said that his clothes were hanging loosely,” the lawyer told the BBC. 

Extradition approved in Italy, blocked in Poland

Germany activated arrest warrants this summer for two Ukrainian men it suspects of blowing up the pipelines: Kuznetsov and Volodymyr Zhuravliov, who was detained in Poland. German prosecutors cited “anti-constitutional sabotage” as the basis for the extradition requests.

A judge in Warsaw blocked Zhuravlyov’s extradition, ruling that if Ukrainians carried out the sabotage, it could be interpreted as legitimate self-defense in the context of Russia's “bloody, genocidal war.” In contrast, a court in Bologna approved Kuznetsov’s extradition last month in a closed hearing. He is currently appealing that decision for a second time.

Ukrainian government silent, ombudsman steps in

Kuznetsov’s lawyer also accused the Ukrainian government of abandoning his client, despite his military background. 

On 9 November, Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said an adviser was reviewing the case and would look into Kuznetsov’s prison conditions.