Sweden ‘shrugs off’ joint investigation into Nord Stream explosion over ‘national security’ as first video shows broken pipe – London Business News
The Nord Stream gas explosion that occurred last month shows that at least 160 feet of the pipeline, which is believed to have been destroyed in a “sabotage” by Moscow.
But suspicions have now arisen after Sweden has formally “shunned” a formal joint investigation with Russia.
A Stockholm prosecutor said they will not share any information at this time because the information they have from their investigation is “directly linked to national security”.
Mats Ljungqvist, who is Sweden’s criminal investigation into Nord Stream, said that Stockholm has rejected the proposal for a joint investigation team from the judicial cooperation body Eurojust, which consists of Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
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Ljungqvist told Reuters, “This is because there is information in our investigation that is subject to confidentiality directly linked to national security.”
A Swedish newspaper, Expressen, reported that 164 feet of the Nord Stream gas pipeline was blown apart, which was so powerful that it measured 2.3 on the Richter scale.
Danish police confirmed that there is “extensive damage” and they are collecting evidence from the “crime scenes” and they added that this is “by no means a coincidence.”
Danish Defense Minister Morten Bodskov said: “It is very serious, and this is by no means a coincidence.
“It seems not only planned, but very well planned.”
video of the damaged Nord Stream pipelines, shot by an underwater drone powered by @Expressen. Copenhagen police and Norwegian investigators said today that the damage was caused by “powerful explosions”. pic.twitter.com/7XKq4XIuQT
— Mike Eckel (@Mike_Eckel) 18 October 2022
Ali Abunimah, who is a journalist, said, however, that Sweden’s refusal to a joint investigation team from the judicial cooperation body Eurojust indicates that the government knows that Moscow was not behind the explosions.
He wrote: “Could there be a clearer confirmation that they know it wasn’t Russia?”
Another reporter from TRT Ali Mustafa questioned Stockholm’s decision, saying that the US was actually behind the attack on Nord Stream, as Moscow also said last month.