Interpol named South Korea’s Kim Jong-yang as its new president on Wednesday, in a blow to Russia which denounced “unprecedented pressure” against its own candidate to lead the global policing body.
There had been growing Western calls for Interpol to reject Alexander Prokopchuk — a Russian interior ministry official and current Interpol vice president — over fears Moscow could abuse the role to target political opponents
US-backed Kim, Interpol’s acting president, was picked at a meeting of delegates from member nations in Dubai to replace Meng Hongwei, who went missing in his native China in September.
Beijing later said Meng resigned after being charged with accepting bribes.
The Kremlin expressed dismay that Prokopchuk, who had been seen as the frontrunner, was beaten.
“The election took place in the atmosphere of unprecedented pressure and interference in these elections,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threw his weight behind Kim, who will serve out Meng’s term until 2020.
