On Wednesday, the Council of Europe accused the governments of Iran and Russia of increasing their use of Interpol's international police laws to 'suppress and detain their political opponents' abroad. The Council of Europe announced that the number of 'Red Notices' issued by Iran and Russia to 190 member countries of Interpol has increased 'fivefold' over the past decade. In this context, AFP reported that the number of 'Red Notices' issued to Interpol was about 2,350 in 2005, but this number reached 12,787 in 2016. Issuing a 'Red Notice' by a member country to Interpol means a request for the arrest and extradition of the mentioned individual. The Council of Europe's report states that 'Interpol and its Red Notice system have been misused by some governments in recent years for political purposes such as suppressing freedom of expression and pursuing political opponents abroad.' The AFP report mentions the three-and-a-half-year detention of Mukhtar Ablyazov, former energy minister of Kazakhstan, in France at the request of Russia. Mr. Ablyazov was ultimately released and not returned to Russia. The Council of Europe's report also refers to Mehdi Khosravi, an Iranian political opponent and blogger, who was arrested last year in Italy at the request of the Islamic Republic by Interpol. Mr. Khosravi, who was a political refugee, was eventually released following the intervention of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran, and through a judicial process. The Council of Europe praised Interpol's efforts to reform existing laws in this regard but emphasized that more actions are needed to prevent some governments from abusing existing Interpol laws. The warning from the Council of Europe comes as several senior officials of the Islamic Republic are on Interpol's wanted list for their alleged involvement in the bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital. In this context, Argentina has requested the extradition of Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Khamenei, from Iraq.
Council of Europe: Iran's Abuse of Interpol to Arrest Political Opponents
The Council of Europe has accused Iran and Russia of misusing Interpol to detain political opponents abroad, with the number of 'Red Notices' issued by these countries increasing significantly over the past decade. This raises concerns about the abuse of international law for political repression. The situation is critical as several Iranian officials are wanted for serious allegations, including terrorism.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Council of Europe accuses Iran of abusing Interpol to arrest political opponents abroad.
- Council of Europe announce Iran, Russia
- Iran arrest Mehdi Khosravi
- Russia detain Mukhtar Ablyazov
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The misuse of Interpol by Iran and Russia poses a threat to political freedoms.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%