Here is the test-case (stick all 3 files in the same dir):

$ xsltproc xpointer-queries.xml

Should not fail, but fails with:

runtime error: file xpointer-transfo.xsl line 11 element copy-of
document() : XPointer does not select a node set:
#�nter(id('b1')/range-to(id('b3')))
no result for xpointer-queries.xml


To make it 'work', just comment-out the last <ref/> in xpointer-queries.xml

xsltproc --version says
Using libxml 20609, libxslt 10108 and libexslt 806
xsltproc was compiled against libxml 20609, libxslt 10108 and libexslt 806
libxslt 10108 was compiled against libxml 20609
libexslt 806 was compiled against libxml 20609

Also note that using an xinclude version of this does work


[2. text/xml; xpointer-queries.xml]

<?xml-stylesheet href="xpointer-transfo.xsl" type="text/xsl"?>

<!-- use xsltproc xpointer-queries.xml -->

<refs>

<!-- These work -->
<ref>xpointer-source.xml#xpointer(/AAA/BBB[1])</ref>
<ref>xpointer-source.xml#xpointer(id('b1'))</ref>
<ref>xpointer-source.xml#xpointer(id('b3'))</ref>

<!-- This on does not
runtime error: file xpointer-transfo.xsl line 11 element copy-of
document() : XPointer does not select a node set:
#XXXXX%@nter(id('b1')/range-to(id('b3')))
 -->

<ref>xpointer-source.xml#xpointer(id('b1')/range-to(id('b3')))</ref>

</refs>
[3. text/xml; xpointer-transfo.xsl]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
                version="1.0">

  <xsl:output method="xml" indent="yes"/>

  <xsl:template match="ref">
    <annotation>
      <xsl:copy-of select="."/>
      <value>
        <xsl:copy-of select="document(.)"/>
      </value>
    </annotation>
  </xsl:template>
  
  
  <!-- recurse -->
  <xsl:template match="@*|node()">
    <xsl:apply-templates/>
  </xsl:template>
  
  
</xsl:stylesheet>
[4. text/xml; xpointer-source.xml]

<!DOCTYPE   AAA
[
<!ELEMENT   AAA   (AAA+|BBB+)>
<!ELEMENT   BBB   EMPTY>
<!ATTLIST   BBB
            id   ID   #REQUIRED>
]
>

<!-- ID-ness *must* be declared for id() references to work -->

<AAA>
  <BBB   id="b1"/>
  <BBB   id="b2"/>
  <AAA>
    <BBB   id="b3"/>
    <AAA>
      <BBB   id="b4"/>
      <AAA/>
    </AAA>
  </AAA>
</AAA>