Interpol elects UAE official Ahmed Naser al-Raisi as president amid controversy
- Global policing body announces appointment of new leader despite accusations by human rights groups of alleged involvement in torture and arbitrary detentions in the UAE
- The election was being closely watched following the disappearance and detention of first-ever Chinese president of the organisation, Meng Hongwei, in 2018
Interpol elected a contentious official from the United Arab Emirates as its new president during the international law enforcement body’s annual General Assembly held in Istanbul on Thursday.
Major General Ahmed Naser al-Raisi, inspector general at the United Arab Emirates’ interior ministry and a member of Interpol’s executive committee, was elected for a four-year term, the global policing body announced. He has been accused by human rights groups of involvement in torture and arbitrary detentions in the UAE.
Interpol said al-Raisi was elected following three rounds of voting and received 68.9 per cent of the votes cast in the final round.
“It’s an honour to have been elected to serve as the next president of Interpol,” the global police agency quoted al-Raisi as saying.
“Interpol is an indispensable organisation built on the strength of its partnerships. It is this collaborative spirit, united in mission, that I will continue to foster as we work to make a safer world for people and communities,” he said.
The vote for president was being closely watched since the first-ever Chinese president of the organisation, Meng Hongwei, vanished midway through his four-year term on a return trip to China in 2018. It subsequently emerged that he had been detained, accused of bribery and other alleged crimes.
The international law enforcement body also said Valdecy Urquiza of Brazil was elected to the post of vice-president for the Americas, while Garba Baba Umar of Nigeria was elected vice-president for Africa.