Russia allegedly considering withdrawal from Interpol

Russia is reportedly considering withdrawal from Interpol, according to a report by The Moscow Times on Tuesday.

This development raises concerns about the nation's future relationship with the international criminal police organization, which contains 196 member-states.

The revelation comes following the results of the 91st session of the Interpol General Assembly, held in Vienna from November 28 to December 1 of last year, as highlighted by legal expert Sergei Zhorin. Zhorin brought attention to the possibility of Russia's withdrawal based on documents published after the assembly.

Limiting some perks

During the assembly, Zhorin emphasized that there was deliberation on the issue of restricting Russia's access to the Interpol search database. This proposition originated from a working group of countries aiming to limit Russia's participation due to alleged political persecution that violated the organization's charter.

If access to the search base is curtailed, it would place Russia in a challenging position. Despite continuing contributions to the Interpol budget, the nation would lose its fundamental right as a member country.

In response, Russia submitted report GA-2023-91-REP-11, titled "On Exclusion from Membership of the Organization," as revealed by Interpol documents cited by Zhorin. This development leads legal experts to believe that the Russian Federation may proactively and independently withdraw from Interpol.

Expressing interest

Earlier, Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, expressed concerns about Interpol. He stated that Interpol, which the USSR joined in 1990 with Russia as its legal successor after the Union's collapse, had introduced a special regime for processing Russian requests. Kolokoltsev claimed that this regime "reduces the effectiveness" of Russian activities within Interpol.

Last month, Kolokoltsev hinted at the possibility of Russia leaving Interpol, emphasizing that "a sovereign state must independently decide the issue of joining or leaving if participation no longer meets the interests of the state itself."