Russia denounces ‘interference’ in Interpol leadership vote

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MOSCOW, Nov 20, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The Kremlin on Tuesday denounced
“interference” in the election for a new Interpol president after critics
including US senators objected to a Russian becoming chief of the global
police body.

“This is interference in the election process of sorts, in the election to
an international organisation,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry
Peskov said, commenting on a statement from several US senators.

“What else can you call it? This is a vivid example.”

Delegates from Interpol member countries will vote on Wednesday to elect
the next president of the France-based body, at a general assembly in Dubai.

A growing chorus of critics is calling on Interpol to reject a Russian
interior ministry official, Alexander Prokopchuk, to lead the organisation,
over fears Moscow could abuse the presidency to target political opponents.

Current Interpol vice president Prokopchuk is seen as the favourite for
the position.

In a statement on Monday, US senators Jeanne Shaheen, Roger Wicker, Chris
Coons and Marco Rubio urged members of Interpol’s General Assembly to reject
Prokopchuk’s candidacy.

“Interpol electing Major General Alexander Prokopchuk as its new president
is akin to putting a fox in charge of a henhouse,” they said.

“Russia routinely abuses Interpol for the purpose of settling scores and
harassing political opponents, dissidents and journalists,” they added,
claiming that Prokopchuk has been “personally involved in this intimidation
strategy”.

The other candidate is South Korea’s Kim Jong Yang, who has been acting
president since former head Meng Hongwei went missing in his native China
last month.

Beijing later informed Interpol that Meng had resigned as director after
being charged with accepting bribes.