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From left to right, an assistant of the Russian Prosecutor General Mikhail Alexandrov, the spokesman of the Russian Prosecutor General Alexander Kurennoi and an assistant of the Russian Prosecutor General Nikolai Atmoniev attend a press conference in Moscow (Russia) on Monday 19 November 2018 Russian prosecutors Monday announced new charges against Bill Browder, accusing him of forming a criminal group to divert money into Russia. They also claimed to suspect Magnitsky's death in prison to be intoxication and claimed they had a "theory". Browder is behind the poisoning. (Pavel Golovkin / Associated Press)
LONDON – A Kremlin financier and critic said Tuesday that the appointment of a senior Russian police official to the Interpol presidency would undermine the international police force and politicize cross-border police cooperation.
Bill Browder, who runs an investment fund that had previously worked in Moscow, said that President Vladimir Putin had been trying to use Interpol to hunt down critics and that the election of one. Russian at the head of the agency could step up his efforts. The London-based businessman has campaigned for sanctions to be taken against Russian officials accused of human rights abuses following the death of his former lawyer in London. detention.
"If a Russian became the head of Interpol, I think that would put the organization in danger of being discredited … and especially if the Russians were then trying to use this new person to pursue me. after it has already been established that Russia has already abused Interpol several times, "said Browder to the Associated Press.
Interpol's general assembly, meeting in Dubai, is expected to elect its new president on Wednesday. Alexander Prokopchuk, a general of the Russian Interior Ministry, currently vice president of Interpol, is the favorite to become the next president.
Critics have long accused powerful governments of trying to use Interpol to pursue their political enemies.
S addressing the BBC, Browder said, "You have a country, Russia, that used chemical weapons in Salisbury, which shot down a plane in Ukraine, which has been trying to hack into elections around the world. . cheated at the Olympics and suddenly you'll take a Russian, a guy who follows Putin's instructions, and charge him with it.
Russia denies accusations of foreign interference and has announced new charges against Browder this week as part of a long legal battle against him.
Based in Lyon, France, Interpol is a clearing house for police services around the world, helping them to cooperate outside their borders. He is best known for issuing red notices or alerts identifying a suspect sued by another country, effectively placing them on the list of the most wanted people in the world.
Interpol itself will not comment on the forthcoming vote. The Presidency of Interpol is more of a ceremonial function than the leadership role of the Secretary General. The chair oversees the executive committee, which meets several times a year and makes decisions on the strategy and direction of Interpol.
The Interpol Charter explicitly proclaims its neutrality and, two years ago, it adopted measures to strengthen the legal framework around the red notice system. As part of the amendments, an international team of lawyers and experts first verifies the compliance of a notice with Interpol rules and regulations prior to publication.
But the potential of a Putin loyalist in such a prominent role has aroused the concern of those who criticize the leaders of the Russian president. Four US senators, including Marco Rubio, have asked the administration of US President Donald Trump to oppose Prokopchuk's candidacy.
Asked about the Senators' statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was an interference in the vote.
"It's an interference in the electoral process, in elections within an international body," Peskov said. He abstained from any comments pending the outcome of the vote.
This is not the first time that Interpol's votes have been controversial.
Human rights groups sounded the alarm two years ago when the Interpol General Assembly approved Meng Hongwei, China's long-time senior security official, for the Presidency. Human Rights Watch warned that Meng's election "would encourage and encourage abuses" in the Interpol system. Amnesty criticized "China's long-standing practice of using Interpol to arrest dissidents and refugees abroad."
Meng is now arrested in China as part of a possible domestic political purge – hence the vote this week to replace him.
The Interpol General Assembly is composed of Member States, each with an equal vote. It also votes on membership, as Tuesday, when they rejected the admission of Kosovo. Interpol members voted last year to admit Palestine as a member, causing an uproar in Israel.
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Vladimir Isachenkov contributed from Moscow.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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