Interpol being used by Kremlin to arrest critics outside of Russia, opponents say
Global News
Interpol, the world's largest international police organization, has 195 member states, but Russia alone is responsible for 38 per cent of extradition requests.
Russia is using Interpol to find and arrest dissidents abroad, including those who criticize the war in Ukraine, exiled political opponents say.
“I am in a constant state of fear and uncertainty,” Artur Zaripov told Global News from his home in Poland, where he says he’s been detained since Russia requested that the international police organization issue warrants for his arrest, which are called Red Notices.
Zaripov is a Turkic Muslim from the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan and a vocal campaigner for Bashkortostan independence.
In 2021, his political activism landed him in a Russian prison, accused of terrorism. After 18 months, he was released on house arrest and escaped the country.
He’s now living in Warsaw, where he says Polish police have detained him at Interpol’s behest four times over the past 18 months.
In each instance, he’s been released once authorities realized the charges were baseless. But he fears he could be extradited back to Russia.
“European countries know Putin is a liar,” Zaripov said. “I don’t understand why they are still cooperating with Russia through Interpol.”
Interpol, which turns 100 years old in September, does not employ its own police officers but rather is used to share information about alleged criminals. The world’s largest international police organization, Interpol includes 195 member states, but Russia is single-handedly responsible for 38 per cent of all public Interpol “Red Notices,” which are the requests it sends to “law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.”