Europe

Russia loses Interpol presidency vote

  • 21 November 2018
Kim Jong-yang, Interpol's new president Image copyright Interpol
Image caption Kim Jong-yang had been acting president since Meng Hongwei's disappearance

Interpol has elected South Korean Kim Jong-yang as its president, rejecting the Russian frontrunner who had been accused of abusing the international police body's arrest warrant system.

Mr Kim was chosen by Interpol's 194 member states at a meeting of its annual congress in Dubai.

He beat Russia's Alexander Prokopchuk, who had been widely tipped to win.

But there was growing concern that Mr Prokopchuk would use the role to target critics of Russia's President Putin.

Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Russian Alexander Prokopchuk was widely considered the frontrunner for the post

The election follows the disappearance of Interpol's former president Meng Hongwei, who vanished on a trip to China in September. Beijing has since confirmed he has been detained and is being investigated for allegedly taking bribes.

Mr Kim will serve out the remaining two years of Mr Meng's term.