Wanted as a tool of repression: Russia pursues its opponents abroad through Interpol
Russia has systematically used Interpol mechanisms to prosecute political opponents, businessmen, and journalists outside the country. Some of these requests have been later found to be politically motivated and canceled.
This is reported by the BBC .
Journalists have obtained thousands of files from an Interpol whistleblower that reveal for the first time the extent of Russia’s use of the organization’s wanted lists to pressure critics abroad, with evidence showing Moscow initiating arrest requests for individuals accused of financial and other crimes.
An analysis of the materials shows that over the past 11 years, Interpol’s independent file review commission has received more complaints about Russia than about any other country, three times the number of complaints from Turkey, which came in second place.
Additionally, over the past decade, at least 700 people wanted by Russia have filed complaints, and at least 400 of them have had their red notices or notices removed, the highest number among all Interpol member countries.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Interpol introduced additional checks on Russian requests. However, the data leak shows that even after that, a significant portion of Moscow’s requests went through initial checks.
Russian businessman Igor Pestrikov, who left Russia in 2022 and applied for asylum in France, said that he learned about his appearance in the Interpol database after contacting the organization.
“When you are put on the Interpol lists, life changes completely,” said Igor Pestrikov.
An Interpol commission later concluded that Pestrikov’s case was largely political and that the materials provided by Russia were general and formal. The request for his arrest was subsequently withdrawn.
Lawyers specializing in Interpol cases note that additional control over Russian requests has not been effective enough.
“Russia has historically been one of the main perpetrators in the red notice system,” said British lawyer Ben Keith.
Interpol said the organization has mechanisms to prevent abuse and that they have been strengthened in recent years. However, in response to a journalist’s request, it noted that it could not comment on the details due to strict data processing rules.
It is worth adding that Russia has intensified hybrid attacks against European countries , forcing them to strengthen defense and security measures. These include both individual incidents and large-scale operations that show signs of strategic preparation.
Earlier, Finnish President Alexander Stubb howled that Russia is waging not only a classic war against Ukraine, but also a broad hybrid campaign against European countries.
The day before, military commentator Hamish de Bretton-Gordon reported that the deployment of Royal Air Force units to Belgium to protect its airspace and critical infrastructure is perhaps the most obvious sign that London and its NATO allies are already in a state of hybrid war with Russia .
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