A European parliamentary letter exposes the black human rights record of the UAE
A letter sent by European parliamentarians exposed the black human rights record of the UAE and the persecution and torture it practices in its prisons.
The parliamentarians opposed the possibility of an Emirati security official assuming the presidency of the International Criminal Police Organization Interpol, considering that this would undermine the organization’s reputation against the backdrop of the UAE’s violations.
Three members of the European Parliament expressed concern over the candidacy of Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, who faces multiple allegations of torture, to head Interpol.
In a letter sent to the president of the European Commission, parliamentarians urged EU countries to elect a president for Interpol who “comes from a country that has a well-established criminal justice system and has long respected human rights.”
They also called on Interpol members to “examine allegations of human rights violations” against the UAE police chief, Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, the front-runner in the upcoming elections.
“We strongly believe that the election of the chief general will undermine the mission and reputation of Interpol and severely impact the organization’s ability to carry out its mission effectively,” they said.
They added that “European institutions should ensure that their economic contributions are used in a way that strengthens, rather than weakens, human rights.”
European parliamentarians said a significant election would counter “the values upheld by the European Union, in particular, human rights and accountability for grave violations, including torture”.
Al Raisi has been the UAE police chief since 2015 and has been accused of serious human rights abuses, including “overseeing the torture of British citizens,” according to the Telegraph.
The Gulf Center for Human Rights also filed a complaint against him earlier this year, asserting that Al-Raisi was responsible for “torture and barbaric acts” against Emirati dissident and human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor.
In September, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on Interpol members to investigate allegations of abuse Al Raisi faces.
Al-Raisi has a black record of human rights violations, which prompted widespread international opposition to the possibility of him heading the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
Since news reports revealed for the first time about a year ago the UAE’s main candidacy for the presidency of Interpol, the voices of many human rights organizations have increased their rejection of their responsibility for human rights violations and torture of detainees.
Although some torture victims, such as the British Matthew Hedges and Ali Issa Ahmed, have already filed a criminal complaint against Al-Raisi for “torture” before the specialized court in combating crimes against humanity, the relationship of the Emirati brigade to the torture of detainees and the nature of his legal responsibility for these crimes may not be It is clear to a large part of the people.
The lack of clarity about Al-Raisi’s role in these violations may be understandable to a large extent, as many people are ignorant of what the “inspector general” job means and the tasks assigned to it. Therefore some may think that Al-Raisi’s responsibility for the violations is only moral, represented by being part of a brutal system practising human rights violations.
