Why did not cause a worldwide scandal

On Sunday, October 7, Interpol announced the “instant entry into force” of the petition of his president, Chinese Men Hunswei, about the resignation. Prior to this, for almost two weeks, Mr. Men Hunswei, who had flown to China, was not signs of life, and on October 6, Interpol reported that he was concerned about the fate of his leader, and in connection with this requires clarification from the Chinese authorities.

What happened

“Interpol asked through official law enforcement channels from the Chinese authorities (information) about the provision of affairs of President Interpol Meng Hunswei. The General Secretariat Interpol is looking forward to an official response from the China authorities to (ours) concern about the state of the president, ”such a message was published on behalf of Jurgen Shtok, Secretary General of Interpol on October 6.

At the same time, the 64-year-old President Men Hunwei-who simultaneously holds the post of vice-minister of internal security (Ministry of Internal Affairs) of China-has not guided signs of life since September 25. In any case, this is what his wife claims. A few days before that, he “briefly” flew to China from Sweden (where he was on a business trip).

REFERENCE

Maine Hunsvei was elected to the post of President of Interpol for 4 years in November 2016. He was the only representative of China, who headed such an authoritative international organization uniting 192 countries. Given the fact that Comrade Man is a person with a 40-year service of service in Chinese law enforcement agencies, with the experience of strict suppression of dissenting protests, many human rights defenders then expressed “concern” in connection with his election.

The first about the disappearance of Meng Hunswei was just his wife Maine Grace - on the afternoon of October 4, through a page on Facebook. That evening, Hunwei's wife filed a statement about his loss to the Lyon police. The police provided her and two children, while the family moved from their permanent apartment in Lyon, where the headquarters of the organization is located, to the hotel.

The next day, the Lyon prosecutor’s office instructed the investigation of the case of the loss of a person to the Interregional Directorate of the Lyon criminal police, and the French Ministry of the Interior “expressed concern”. The same statement stated that the “Chinese authorities” have not yet given an answer to the request sent through the interpol bureau in Beijing, and “negotiations with the Chinese authorities are ongoing”.

On the same day, that is, on the 11th day after the “loss” of its president, the International Criminal Police Organization itself issued the corresponding communique. Finally, on Sunday, October 7, the wife of President Interpol made an application for the press (sitting with her back to reporters) in one of the Lyon hotels. Suppressing the sobs, she read out in Chinese and English the “call to the international community” with a request to do everything possible to free Menn Hunwei. She also showed messages received from her husband from the moment of his loss. On the afternoon of September 25, he wrote to her in WhatsApp “Wait for my call”, and four minutes later he sent a graphic icon depicting a knife (“Obviously, he wanted to show that he was in danger”). After another 7 minutes, his wife first tried to call him herself, but since then his phone has not answered anymore.

About an hour after the performance of Men Hunwei's wife, the Chinese authorities finally declared their position. On the website of the Central Disciplinary Commission of the Communist Party of China, a message appeared that Meng Hunswei was “under investigation”, since “is suspected of violation of the law”.

Well, after that, in the evening of October 7, Interpol said that "he received a petition for the resignation of Mr. Man Hunswei from the post of president" and this petition "instantly entered into force."

The acting President Interpol was temporarily appointed senior vice president Kim Jong Yang (representative of South Korea), and the new president will be elected at the nearest session of the General Assembly, which will be held in Dubai from November 18 to 21. At the same time, the new president will be elected only until 2020 - that is, until the time when the powers of Maine Hunwei should have expired: such an order was in the charter of the organization.

The charter of Interpol, of course, does not say anything about what exactly the General Secretariat should do if the president’s abduction. But formally, the decision on the “instant entry into force” of the request for resignation does not contradict the rules of the organization.

It can also be with a great degree of confidence that the French authorities and the captivity of the Interpol are known to both the French authorities and the capture of Chinese “captivity” than they report. On the afternoon of October 8, during the traditional “session” answers to online questions of journalists, the representative of the French Foreign Ministry said that “France took note of yesterday’s statement by Interpol about the immediate resignation of its president” and “recalls its full support for the work of Interpol.”

The request of the “New”, just in case, sent on October 8 to the press service of Interpol (despite the warning that the organization “will not comment on anything in the future”), so far remains unanswered.

Our appeal contains a request to answer only two questions:

1. Why Interpol decided to resign his president, despite the whole series of circumstances (in particular, investigations begun by the Lyon prosecutor’s office on the facts of the disappearance of Meng Hunswei and threats to his wife; as well as the decision of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs on the provision of police security for his family).

2. How could Interpol check the “reliability” of the resignation of his president, taking into account the fact that he is under the full control of the Chinese authorities and could make his “decision” under pressure and threats?

However, the charter of Interpol is made up so that they can justify almost anything.

For example, Article 2 states that the organization “should contribute to the maximum possible provision of mutual assistance” by all representatives of Interpol “within the framework of laws acting in different countries”, but at the same time, “and in the spirit of a universal declaration of human rights”. What to do when Chinese laws allow you to keep the “suspect” within 6 months without warning even his loved ones, the charter of Interpol is not said. Although such a practice clearly contradicts the universal declaration of human rights.

Article 3 of the Charter of Interpol states that "any activity and any intervention in issues and affairs representing the political <...> character is strictly prohibited." But although the “hunting” for the now ex-president of Interpol can be not only the struggle of the Chinese authorities with corruption, but also a way of political struggle; Formally, here the charter of Interpol is not violated. After all, the organization really has not yet publicly intervened "in a question representing a political character." To such an extent that 11 days kept silence about the fate of her president.

On October 8, the day after the “resignation” of Meng Hunswei, the Chinese authorities clarified that they detained him for “receiving a bribe” and for the fact that he “put a ruling communist party and the police under a serious threat.” And all this was the result of the "harmful influence of Zhou Yuncan"-the former Minister of Public Security of China, who appointed Menn Hunwei vice minister.

Zhou Yuncan is serving a life sentence on charges of corruption, abuse of power, etc. Since 2014. Obviously, Meng Hunswei, going to China on September 25, 2018, could not help but remember what was one of the last high -ranking representatives of the “hostile clan” for the authorities. Moreover, two “black marks” were already served him: in December 2017, he was removed from the post of head of the coast guard of China, and in April 2018 he was expelled from the cell of the Communist Party in the Ministry of Public Security. But, probably, Meng Hunswei could not have imagined that his Chinese comrades would dare to detain the president of the International Criminal Police Organization. And besides, this will be accompanied by the long silence of comrades from Interpol.

The first attempt to rationally explain such a silent “allied” between Beijing and Lyon was undertaken on October 9 by the French radio station Europe 1, which reported that the “close ties” of Maine Huns with the Chinese company Meiya Pico, which dealt with cybersecurity issues, could be the reason. “From the moment of his election” (in November 2016), Meng Huns “actively working to strengthen strategic cooperation” of Interpol “with this Chinese company” - “to such an extent that it caused fears even inside the Interpol”, where the “secret internal confrontation” began, says Europe 1.

“The question was strategic. It was impossible to allow such a Chinese company to infiltrate Interpol ”, in addition, Meiya Pico“ is a direct competitor of CMII ”(special forces of Interpol for cybersecurity), whose director“ resolutely threatened to resign if Meiya Pico became the main representative of the international criminal police on these issues, is approved in the publication of Europe 1.

The radio station does not report who provided it with this information, but the source may be in Lyon and Beijing. It cannot be ruled out that Lyon can cooperate with Beijing in this matter - including because their interests could coincide.

However, these are only unrequited speculations: Article 30 of the Charter of Interpol says that the secretary and personnel of Interpol should not follow the “instructions of any government and no foreign government”.

Paris