Russia ‘abusing Interpol as criminal state’

RUSSIA is a “criminal state” which is “abusing” the powers of Interpol, MPs will be told this week, amid concerns that a UAE security chief accused of presiding over “torture” will become the organisation’s new head.

The global police and crime organisation is facing a parliamentary inquiry over concerns that it is vulnerable to manipulation by member states including Russia, China and the UAE.

The foreign affairs committee will hear from Bill Browder, the British financier and arch- critic of Vladimir Putin who has been subject to eight Interpol arrest notices by Russia on “trumped up” charges over the “poisoning” of a Kremlin whistleblower – all of which have been refused.

Interpol should “suspend access of serial abusers like Russia to its databases”, he will say on Tuesday. “Britain should work with its allies – the US, Canada, Australia, the European Union, and others on withholding funds if Interpol refuses to reform.”

The organisation has come under increased scrutiny after Meng Hongwei, its president, disappeared under Chinese authorities and was given 13 years in prison on bribery charges in 2018.

Russia’s Alexander Prokopchuk was lined up as a presumptive successor but has been accused of abusing Red Notices. His election was likened to “putting a fox in charge of the henhouse” by US officials.

Earlier this month, The Daily Telegraph revealed that a United Arab Emirates security head accused of presiding over the “torture” of a British academic is a frontrunner for the role, and could be elected in December.

Major General Nasser Ahmed Al-Raisi has been accused of human rights violations in the Middle East, including against British citizens Matthew Hedges and Ali Ahmad, and Interpol has been warned it could lose credibility if he is chosen to be its president. He has never responded to claims.

American-born Mr Browder has spent more than a decade fighting to uncover Russian money laundering after once being the country’s largest foreign investor.

Mr Browder believes that Britain should do more to stand up to what he describes as “criminal states”. “The UK contributes 5.8 per cent of Interpol’s budget,” he will say.