KUALA LUMPUR - An international human rights organisation has asked Interpol to “clarify its involvement” with regard to the issue of an arrest warrant and a red notice request by the Malaysian police against British investigative journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown.
In a letter issued yesterday by executive director Jago Russell, Fair Trials also asked Interpol secretary-general Prof Dr Jurgen Stock to “explain the approach [Interpol] will follow in the assessment of any Red Notice request against Rewcastle Brown.”
Fair Trials’ letter points in particular to a Rakyat Post report on August 7 which suggested that “[f]ederal police [were] confident of [Interpol]’s cooperation following discussions between Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar and [Interpol] Secretary-General Jürgen Stock during the ASEAN police chiefs meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia” which took place earlier this month.
“[A]s you will appreciate, stories like this inform personal perceptions of Interpol and cause considerable personal concern for the individuals concerned,” the letter reads. “Any attempted use of Interpol’s systems as a way of restricting freedom is, of course, a matter of grave concern.”
“It is however particularly worrying that, in a case of that nature, the requesting country should refer to conversations with you as Secretary-General (outside of Interpol’s formal review processes) as enhancing the prospects of Interpol cooperating with a Red Notice request,” the letter reads further, and “suggests that contacts and diplomacy play a more important part in Interpol’s decision-making process than the rules.”
The letter notes in particular that Rewcastle Brown had been accused of “activity detrimental to a parliamentary democracy” shortly after her whistleblower website Sarawak Report claimed that Prime Minister Najib Razak had received US$700 million into his personal bank accounts. She had also complained of being photographed and followed in London, resulting in police protection being afforded to her in the United Kingdom.
Rewcastle Brown herself has described the warrant as “ridiculous” and said the tactic was designed to frighten her sources.
“It’s not something they could execute against me. They have charged me under laws that don’t exist in the UK or any other normal democratic country,” she was reported as telling British newspaper The Independent on August 6.
“What they have said is that I have printed material that has caused concern in the minds of the public and that is a crime, apparently.”
Fair Trials cites its mission as being to work for fair trials according to internationally-recognised standards of justice.
Interpol secretary-general Prof Dr Jurgen Stock should immediately issue a statement publicly that Interpol cannot act unless the request is properly made through proper channels in writing, and state that Interpol has its own rules to follow.
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