Should Russia be expelled from Interpol?

Insight News Media journalists examined the connection between Russia and Interpol and drew attention to the obstacles they face in their cooperation.

Poland and Ukraine are pushing for a resolution to expel Russia from INTERPOL

Poliskie Radio reports that Polish MEP Jadwiga Wisniewska believes that there are sufficient grounds to exclude Russia from INTERPOL, in particular the attack on Ukraine, where Russians are committing the crime of genocide. 

According to her, Poland and Ukraine have already supported the motion to expel Russia from the organization. Furthermore, Wiesniwska has requested the Executive Committee of INTERPOL to draft the necessary amendments to the Interpol statute, which would allow the suspension of membership in the global criminal police organization.

She also urges EU member states to support this initiative and suspend the membership of Russia and other states that use Interpol for political purposes. 

Back in March 2022, Western countries demanded to suspend Russia's participation in INTERPOL due to its aggression in Ukraine. United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States support the urgent termination of Russia's access to Interpol’s systems, British Home Secretary Priti Patel said. 

INTERPOL denied extradition of Nevzorov

In December 2022, it became known that INTERPOL rejected several requests from Russia for the extradition of journalists Andriy Soldatov and Oleksandr Nevzorov, blogger Veronika Bilotserkivska and former police officer Oleh Kashintsev. This is stated in the letters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, which were published by Agentura.

The motherland is prosecuting them under the article on "fakes and discrediting the Russian army", which has no analogous in the criminal legislation of other countries, the documents note. INTERPOL considers the prosecution politically motivated. 

INTERPOL is closely monitoring Russia's requests 

In March 2022, the International Criminal Police Organization had decided not to expel Russia from the group but had strengthened the process of reviewing its requests. 

"In order to prevent any potential misuse of INTERPOL channels to prosecute individuals within or outside the conflict in Ukraine, enhanced oversight and monitoring measures have been introduced by the Secretary-General in relation to Russia, and this decision has been endorsed by the Executive Committee," the statement reads.

On March 11, almost three weeks after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the statement said that “effective immediately, diffusions can no longer be sent directly by NCB Moscow to member countries. NCB Moscow must now send all diffusions to the General Secretariat to be checked for compliance with INTERPOL’s Rules. If diffusion is found compliant, the General Secretariat will disseminate it to member countries. This procedure is in addition to the General Secretariat’s current process of reviewing all Notice requests for compliance.”

Since March 10, Russia are no longer allowed to send "diffusions", which are more informal assistance requests, directly to its members. Instead, Russia must forward the documents to the General Secretariat so that they can be checked for compliance with Interpol rules.

Membership in INTERPOL

The INTERPOL Constitution defines that only sovereign states can be members of the organization. This is why both Russia and Ukraine are among the members of the group. Interpol refused to terminate Russia's membership, citing Article 3 of its Constitution, which prohibits INTERPOL from engaging in political activities.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has been a member of INTERPOL since 1997 and, through the NCB, actively participates in the exchange of data and other international police activities, ensuring the connection of its legal system with the rest of the world.

Whom does INTERPOL serve?

The organization cooperates with 192 member countries to work against global crime. INTERPOL offers a wide range of expertise and experience in the fight against terrorism, cybercrime and organized crime.

This is an example of how international communities can work together to ensure the safety of people around the world. A global database is a powerful tool that allows law enforcement agencies to prevent potential international crimes. 

International search instruments abuse

Russia uses Interpol for the political persecution of the Ukrainian military who took part in the war in Donbas, Ukraine believes. The detention of anti-terrorist operation veteran Ihor Mazur in 2019 on the Ukrainian-Polish border has caused a debate in the country on how to fight Russia's hybrid war, which uses international instruments such as Interpol against Ukrainians.

One of the most powerful tools of Interpol is the international wanted list. The Interpol information system uses the so-called "card" of a wanted person. The card is classified by color depending on the purpose of the search.

The person to be extradited, for example, is indicated with a red mark. Interpol's General Secretariat checks whether the "card" is legitimate and meets the standards of the organization. Most "cards" are not published, they can only be seen by law enforcement officers in their system.

There is also a "diffusion" procedure for wanted persons for extradition purposes. This option enables a simpler publication process. It is often used for operational detention and does not require time consuming verification by the General Secretariat. The list of states to which the circular should be sent can be clearly defined by the country initiating the diffusion.

Who manages INTERPOL?

The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is a global organization that encourages police cooperation across national borders and fights transnational crime. 

The Executive Committee and the General Assembly, which both meet in Lyon, France, supervise the activities of the organization.

The General Assembly, which is the supreme governing body of INTERPOL, is responsible for approving budgets, programs and decisions on the activities of the organization. The selection of the Secretary General of INTERPOL is one of the tasks entrusted to the Executive Committee. The Secretary-General, the highest official of INTERPOL, is responsible for monitoring the activities of the organization and implementing the decisions of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee.

Assisting member countries in the prevention and investigation of international crime is the main task of INTERPOL. It maintains 19 databases containing information on crime and criminal activity, which is transmitted in real-time to law enforcement agencies around the world.

It also provides forensic expertise and information on the whereabouts of criminals who are fugitives from justice. The organization is strictly forbidden to interfere in political, military, religious, or racial affairs, as its guiding principle is neutrality, according to Article 3 of the INTERPOL Charter. Its success is based on its neutrality, which allows it to offer a platform for the globalization of law enforcement cooperation.

Interpol in Russia

INTERPOL works closely with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs to support the Russian police in solving challenging cases, including the search for fugitives from justice, as well as to exchange information and operational assistance.

INTERPOL also provides assistance in international investigation coordination and ensures that Russian law enforcements have access to the most advanced criminal intelligence and investigation techniques. The permanent Russian National Central Bureau in Moscow is providing INTERPOL's activities in the country. It is responsible for organizing global initiatives and giving access to INTERPOL databases.

Will Russia be expelled from Interpol?

Russia has violated the rules and regulations of Interpol, so its membership may be expired. Consequently, law enforcement agencies from all over the world will have fewer opportunities to cooperate with their Russian counterparts. To conduct an investigation, it will no longer be possible to just share resources and information with Moscow. And this must be taken into account.

But as a rogue state, it is unlikely that Russia will want to arrest and extradite criminals wanted in other countries. On the other hand, the European Parliament, PACE, NATO Parliamentary Assembly and a number of EU member states have recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The private military group "Wagner" may soon be recognized as a terrorist organization. So the image of a country that supports terrorists contrasts with Interpol's goal of fighting terrorism. This is an argument in favor of expelling Russia from Interpol, without having major disadvantages.