British torture victims file criminal complaint against Emirati Interpol chief
Two British citizens have filed a criminal complaint against Interpol President Ahmed Naser al-Raisi as he prepared to open a week-long annual conference in Glasgow.
Matthew Hedges and Ali Issa Ahmad, who were detained in the United Arab Emirates(UAE) in 2018 and 2019 respectively, both say Raisi oversaw the torture they endured during their incarceration in his role as inspector general in the Ministry of Interior.
With the 92nd Interpol General Assembly beginning on Monday, the two submitted a criminal complaint with supporting evidence to the Scottish police, requesting that Raisi be questioned and arrested while in Glasgow on the basis of the evidence submitted.
"The Scottish police clearly have an opportunity to act and that's what we're urging them to do," said Rodney Dixon QC, who is representing the two.
He told Middle East Eye that his clients had highlighted that having Raisi as president of Interpol continued to "directly impinge upon the credibility and integrity of the organisation."
"Interpol is there for fighting international crime and should certainly start by looking at itself and making sure that it's own house is in order," he said.
Ahmad, a 28-year-old from Wolverhampton, said he was was subjected to racial abuse and torture - including beatings, electrocution, cuts and burns - after being arrested in the UAE while attending an Asian Cup football match there.
It is thought that he was arrested for wearing the football shirt of Qatar, then a rival of the UAE, though the UAE has denied this.
At the time of his arrest, Hedges was a doctoral student at Durham University, researching the UAE's security apparatus after the mass Arab anti-government protests of 2011. On 5 May 2018, he was detained and imprisoned for more than six months, accused of being a British spy.
While incarcerated, Hedges says prison staff forcibly drugged him and interrogated him for up to 15 hours a day, leading him to sign false confessions. He was sentenced to life in prison by an Emirati court in November 2018 but was released five days later after a pardon.
He still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the abuse and requires medication.
Hedges told Middle East Eye on Thursday that Raisi's visit was a further indication of the "weakness" of Britain's position in the world and its unwillingness to push back against a long-standing ally.
"It shows where the power lies, where the interests lie. So, Raisi coming to Glasgow this week - it's pure spinelessness, especially if there are criminal complaints open and being investigated," Hedges said.
Universal jurisdiction
The complaint is being filed under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which under international law allows domestic courts to prosecute individuals accused of serious crimes, including genocide and crimes against humanity, regardless of where the crime was committed.
Countries such as Germany have used universal jurisdiction to prosecute and jail Syrian nationals involved in atrocities committed during the country’s civil war.
British law limits prosecutions for most international crimes to suspects who are UK residents or citizens, except for torture.
Hedges and Ahmad have previously attempted to legally pursue Raisi and others they say were involved in their torture, suing 10 Emirati officials in the High Court for damages in 2021.
However, they discontinued the legal action in February 2024 after the officials cited “foreign official immunity” to “prevent the court considering their actions", according to the Carter-Ruck law firm representing Hedges and Ahmad.
French investigative judges also opened a case against Raisi in May 2022. However, he failed to attend a summons for questioning in June 2023.
Raisi was elected president of Interpol in 2021 despite warnings from human rights organisations, which accused him of overseeing numerous abuses in the UAE, including torture, sexual abuse, arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances.
Although his term is officially set to end in 2025, the General Assembly is expected to vote next week on a constitutional change that would allow him to run for another term.
On Monday, a letter was sent to the secretary general and Executive Committee on behalf of Hedges, Ahmad and Bahraini national Ahmed Jaafar Mohamed Ali, who was unlawfully deported from Serbia to Bahrain as a result of an Interpol red notice, urging them to reject the proposed amendment.
The letter insisted that Raisi should fully cooperate with the French investigation and other national authorities.
Interpol criticism
Interpol has long faced criticism for failing to reform its controversial red notice system, whereby member states can issue alerts to others seeking an individual's arrest.
Although red notices can be appealed and removed if they violate Interpol's rules and constitution, the process can be difficult.
Yuriy Nemets, a US-based lawyer and expert in Interpol abuse cases, previously told MEE that those wishing to dispute a red notice did "not have the right to a hearing, to examine evidence that governments produce against them or the right to appeal the commission's decisions".
The UAE, in particular, has become notorious for using Interpol red notices to track down and harass people who owe debts in the country - something that most countries do not consider a crime.
Campaigners have warned that Raisi's appointment could further open up Interpol to abuse by repressive governments around the world.
Speaking to MEE in 2021, Sandra Grossman, a solicitor who testified in the US Senate about the misuse of Interpol red notices by states as a means of transnational repression, said there were a number of states "who utilise the significant power of the red notice to hunt for political opponents outside of their borders".
She also noted that Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock had attempted, around the time of Raisi’s election, to downplay the president’s role, suggesting it was largely symbolic.
"I think the secretary general’s comments significantly downplay the power of the role of the president and the symbolic significance of electing someone like Raisi, who has been accused of torture by what I understand to be several reputable human rights organisations and individuals," Grossman said.