Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi, a UAE Army general accused of torture, has been elected president of the Interpol international police force. Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi will serve as president of Interpol for the next four years. He was the head of the UAE security forces. News from the BBC.
Human rights groups have accused him of failing to investigate specific allegations against the UAE security forces. Human rights groups have also opposed Rice’s candidacy over the allegations. However, Raisi denied the allegations against him. The UAE Foreign Ministry quoted Raisi as saying that he believed the repression and torture inflicted on the police was intolerable and despicable.
However, Al-Raisi’s position in the organizational structure of Interpol is rhetorical. His responsibilities include chairing executive committee meetings. On the other hand, Secretary General Jর্গrgen Stock is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organization.
Hiba Zayedin Rice, a researcher at The Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCER), a French-based human rights organization, called the election of President a sad day for human rights and the rule of law around the world. GCAER’s lawyers recently formally charged General Rice with human rights abuses in France and Turkey.
It alleges that Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi was behind the 2016 crackdown on Ahmed Mansour, a prominent dissident leader in the UAE. Ahmed Mansoor was sentenced to 10 years in prison for defaming the country through social media.
In a joint statement issued this month, three members of the German parliament said that the appointment of General Al-Raisi would tarnish Interpol’s reputation. But the UAE has dismissed the threat, saying the UAE is “one of the safest countries in the world” and is proud of it
