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France opens torture case against Interpol president

May 11, 2022

Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi, who became president of the international police agency last year, is being accused of complicity in the torture of two British men who were detained in the UAE.

https://p.dw.com/p/4B93p
Major General Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi, inspector general at the UAE interior ministry and candidate for the 2021 Interpol election, speaks on the phone on the first day of the 89th Interpol General Assembly in Istanbul
Two Britons accuse al-Raisi of having ultimate responsibility for their torture and arbitrary detentionImage: Ozan Kose/AFP

French authorities on Wednesday opened an investigation into torture allegations against Interpol President Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi of the United Arab Emirates.

Investigative judges at the Paris Tribunal began the probe after two British citizens, Matthew Hedges and Ali Issa Ahmad, accused al-Raisi of having ultimate responsibility for their torture and arbitrary detention they say they endured in the UAE.

Their period of detention was when al-Raisi was general inspector in the UAE's Interior Ministry, a post he still holds alongside being president of Interpol. 

On Wednesday, evidence against al-Raisi was presented to the tribunal's judicial unit for crimes against humanity and war crimes, according to the Britons' lawyers.

What are the accusations? 

Hedges, an academic specializing in the UAE, said he was tortured after being arrested during a study trip and detained for 6 months on charges of espionage. 

Ahmad said he was detained and tortured by UAE security agents during the 2019 Asian Cup soccer tournament he had attended in the UAE.

The UAE has denied the allegations against al-Raisi. 

Why is the case being tried in France?

In October, the two British citizens filed the claim with Paris Tribunal prosecutors under France's principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows the country to prosecute serious crimes even if they are committed on foreign soil

This means al-Raisi could potentially be detained for questioning if he visits France. Interpol is based in the French city of Lyon.

In January, when al-Raisi was visting Lyon, the men filed a criminal complaint directly with the tribunal's judges to open an investigation.

Al-Raisi is believed to have visited Lyon several times since January after being elected Interpol president in November 2021.

His appointment was contentious, as he has previously been accused of involvement in torture and arbitrary detentions by human rights groups.

The Paris Tribunal is France's largest court by caseload, and its jurisdiction covers crimes against humanity and crimes committed outside of France. 

According to a source who spoke to AFP news agency, investigators must also decide if al-Raisi enjoys diplomatic immunity from prosecution in France.

jsi/wmr (AP, AFP)