At the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg Hamburg the assessment of forensic findings on the sailing yacht Andromeda shaped the day’s proceedings. Experts and investigators from the Federal Criminal Police Office described the residues found on board and the conditions under which samples were collected, transported and stored.
According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, particles of highly explosive substances were documented at several locations on the yacht. Particular attention was paid to the possibility of contamination and to the evidential value of individual particles after a long period and several transfers. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office pointed out that the traces formed part of a body of circumstantial evidence that had to be assessed as a whole. The defence questioned whether the findings were conclusive, cited possible alternative explanations and criticised gaps in the chain of evidence handling.
The taking of evidence builds on earlier investigations. According to the prosecution, the Andromeda was deployed in September 2022 at the Baltic Sea to transport a team to the area off Bornholm where the Nord Stream pipelines were damaged on 26 September 2022. The files include, among other things, route details and charter records; one possible departure point cited is Wiek on Rügen The defence denies that the crew was directly involved and warns against jumping to conclusions based on individual forensic findings.
Experts explained technical aspects of the detonations in court, including pressure and sound effects on the surrounding area and risks to shipping. Witnesses described the methods used to search for traces on board, how sample locations were selected and measures taken to prevent contamination. The court repeatedly distinguished between established facts—such as documented residues—and assessments that were to be brought together only during the subsequent evaluation of the evidence.
The trial is taking place in a politically sensitive environment. The proceedings in Hamburg touch on international jurisdiction and diplomatic interests, but in the court’s view these do not provide an immediate basis for conclusions about the perpetrators or those who commissioned the attacks. Decisions on the evidential value of the traces will be reserved until later in the trial. Proceedings will continue; further witnesses and expert reports have been announced.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).