Head of Lithuania's Ministry of Internal Affairs сalls for restricting rights of Russia and Belarus in Interpol
Head of Lithuania's Ministry of Internal Affairs Agne Bilotaite and Interpol Secretary-General Juergen Stock (photo: vrm.lrv.lt)
Minister of Internal Affairs of Lithuania Agne Bilotaite discussed with Interpol Secretary-General Juergen Stock the issue of abuse by Russia and Belarus within the organization through politically motivated persecutions. She called for restricting the rights of Moscow and Minsk within Interpol, according to the Press Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania.
The Lithuanian official participated in the 91st General Assembly of Interpol in Vienna, Austria. The minister informed the secretary-general of the organization about Lithuania's readiness to delegate a representative from the country's police to the General Secretariat of Interpol.
During a meeting with Stok, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania emphasized that Interpol must "do everything to prevent undemocratic states, such as Russia or Belarus, from using membership to achieve their political goals."
"The international community cannot tolerate the abuse of Interpol channels, the persecution of citizens for political purposes, both within and outside their countries," she stated.
In this context, Bilotaite expressed gratitude to the Interpol leadership for their "principled stance and protection of Lithuanian judges, prosecutors, and other officials involved in the investigation of Russian crimes against Lithuanian citizens."
"We notice that Russia and Belarus constantly seek ways to impose their political will. This General Assembly is no exception, and this is well illustrated by the resolution projects proposed by these countries. We must ensure that no such proposals are accepted," she noted.
Earlier in November, the head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bilotaite, sent a letter to the interior ministers of the European Union and associated countries of the Schengen Agreement regarding resolution projects submitted by Russia and Belarus.
According to her, Moscow's proposal clearly contradicts the resolution proposed by Ukraine, adopted in the 2022 General Assembly.
"Russia completely ignores discussions in the working group on the possibility of removing member states that abuse their membership. Belarus' proposal aims at the publication of unverified reports by Interpol (international search)," the Lithuanian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.
Restrictions on Russia's Rights in Interpol
As a response to Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, a number of countries called on Interpol to suspend the membership of the aggressor country in the International Criminal Police Organization.
Back in March 2022, Interpol responded to this initiative, stating that cooperation with Russia would continue but with limitations.
It's worth noting that Ukraine also demanded the exclusion of Russia from Interpol, citing the use of the tools of the international organization to cover up its crimes by the aggressor state.
