Potential appointment of a Russian as president of Interpol raises alarm in West

LONDON — Interpol is facing a pivotal — some say possibly fatal — moment in its history as members decide whether to hand its presidency to a man who represents Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Kremlin critics fear they could soon face arrest wherever they go. Western governments worry that Russia could use the post to undermine the rule of law.

Interpol, which elects a new president Wednesday, has weathered many challenges in its 95 years. While Hollywood has portrayed it as a hive of swashbuckling agents, in reality it’s an organization sometimes tangled in red tape and clashing geopolitical interests. Nazis took it over in the 1930s, and authoritarian governments have long tried to use it to hunt down fugitive dissenters.

But the latest storm of criticism comes at an exceptional time — just as Russia is trying to expand its global clout and as some powerful countries are questioning whether they need multilateral organizations like Interpol at all.

Interpol’s general assembly is choosing the agency’s new president at a meeting in Dubai where the front-runner is Alexander Prokopchuk, a general in Russia’s Interior Ministry who is currently an Interpol vice president. Interpol’s interim president, South Korea’s Kim Jong Yang, is also seeking the post.

Two prominent Kremlin critics warned Tuesday that electing a high-placed Russian would undermine the international law enforcement agency and politicize police cooperation across borders.