Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

French court probes torture claims against Interpol president by two Britons

An open investigation could lead to al-Raisi’s detention for questioning when he is next on French territory, the Britons’ lawyers said

Thomas Kingsley
Wednesday 11 May 2022 14:23 BST
Comments
Major General Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi at the Interpol general assembly in Istanbul
Major General Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi at the Interpol general assembly in Istanbul (AFP via Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

French investigative judges at the Paris Tribunal have opened an investigation into torture allegations made by two British men against Interpol president Major General Ahmed Nasser al-Raisi of the United Arab Emirates.

Matthew Hedges and Ali Issa Ahmad, who were both detained in the UAE before Mr al-Raisi was elected president of the France-based international police agency, will give evidence against him at the tribunal’s specialised judicial unit for crimes against humanity and war crimes, their lawyers said.

The two Britons filed a joint criminal complaint against Mr al-Raisi with the prosecutors of the tribunal in October, under the principle of universal jurisdiction. In January, they filed a criminal complaint directly with the judges of the tribunal to open an investigation into claims against him.

The new Interpol president, elected for a four-year term in November, has been accused by human rights groups of involvement in torture and arbitrary detentions in the UAE. His visit sparked a backlash as a lawyer for the Britons said his presence on French territory had triggered the universal jurisdiction of French courts.

The accusations are sufficient to lift Mr al-Raisi’s diplomatic immunity, which he enjoys thanks to an agreement between the French state and Interpol, human rights lawyers have said.

The UAE has denied the allegations.

Mr Hedges was a doctoral student in the UAE when he was imprisoned for nearly seven months in 2018 on spying charges. He said he was tortured and at times held in solitary confinement with no access to a lawyer. Mr Ahmad has said he was detained and tortured by UAE security agents during the 2019 Asian Cup football tournament he attended in the Gulf country.

The Britons’ international lawyer, Rodney Dixon, said that “an open investigation should lead to al-Raisi’s detention for questioning while he is next on French territory”, according to French law.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in