ByNews Desk- The Cradle
The new head of the international police body faces several accusations of human rights abuses in a number of European countries
In an announcement made via Twitter on 25 November, Interpol announced: “Mr Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi of the United Arab Emirates has been elected to the post of President (4-yr term).”
Al-Raisi reportedly received 68.9 percent of the votes cast by member countries.
The decision to appoint the Emirati general drew the objection of human rights figures and organizations. In recent months, Al-Raisi has been the target of a number of lawsuits in the UK, France, Sweden, Norway, and Turkey from people denouncing his alleged history of overseeing torture.
Among those objecting and accusing Al-Raisi of torture are two British nationals formerly detained in the UAE. One of them, Ali Issa Ahmad, claims he was detained for wearing a Qatar football jersey.
Matthew Hedges, the other British national detained on spying charges, affirmed that Al-Raisi “is absolutely responsible for torture. The message his candidacy sends is that not only can you do this and get away with it, but be rewarded.”
An 11 November letter signed by three European Parliament members to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen objected Al-Raisi’s appointment, warning against the impact of his assignment to the post on Interpol.
In the letter, they wrote that “the election of General Al-Raisi would undermine the mission and reputation of Interpol and severely affect the ability of the organization to carry out its mission effectively.”
Interpol, which receives generous amounts of funding from the United Arab Emirates, is based in Lyon, France. In 2017, the UAE pledged €50 million to Interpol, with around €10 million pledged or donated in 2019.
Al-Raisi also holds the post of inspector general at the Interior Ministry of the UAE.
No comments:
Post a Comment