Six UK parliamentarians have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on the UK Government to oppose United Arab Emirates (UAE) official Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi’s bid to become president of Interpol, as pressure builds against his candidacy ahead of this week’s vote.
The letter, sent by co-chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Human Rights Margaret Ferrier MP and co-signed by Conservative MP and Father of the House Sir Peter Bottomley, expresses deep concerns regarding al-Raisi’s candidacy, in light of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) poor human rights record and the official’s own role. The letter also received support from six members representing both Houses of the UK parliament, including Labour MPs Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw and Tony Lloyd, Alba Party MP Kenny MacAskill and Crossbench Life peer Baroness Stern.
Margaret Ferrier MP, who sent the letter, commented: “We believe that the UK should oppose al-Raisi’s candidacy and support a candidate from another country where fundamental rights and freedoms are enshrined and respected. In the longer term, the UK should also support a more open, transparent and timely process for nominations to all elected Interpol positions, so candidates for these positions can be properly vetted and considered.”
Major-General Ahmed al-Raisi is a senior figure in a state apparatus that systematically carries out grave human rights abuses, including the detention of human rights defenders and peaceful critics and the use of torture and ill-treatment in security facilities. As Inspector-General of the UAE’s Ministry of Interior since 2015, he is responsible for managing the country’s security and police forces.
There have been several legal complaints against him, including on behalf of British academic Matthew Hedges, who was detained for seven months in the UAE, denied his basic rights to due process, and tortured.
Matthew Hedges commented: “As head of the country’s interior ministry, al-Raisi is directly responsible for abuses that routinely take place in Emirati detention facilities, including my own ordeal. His election would fly in the face of justice, and open the door to further impunity.”
The MPs’ letter also cites concerns raised in a report by the UK’s former director of public prosecutions, Sir David Calvert-Smith, including evidence that the UAE has misused Interpol’s Red Notice system for political purposes and attempted to improperly influence Interpol through funding.
There have been similar initiatives in other European parliaments, as international pressure grows in opposition to al-Raisi’s candidacy ahead of Interpol’s General Assembly from 23-25 November. Calls have now been made by 35 French parliamentarians, 45 MEPs, and a group of German MPs, all expressing concern about the Emirati’s candidacy.
ALQST’s Executive Director Nabhan Al-Hanshi said: “It is clear that if Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi was elected president of Interpol it would severely damage the organisation’s reputation and send a chilling message to the world that it simply does not care about the UAE’s repressive record.”
Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), commented: “We must not allow an official from an authoritarian and abusive regime like the UAE to become chief of international policing- it will destroy Interpol's already damaged credibility.”
