Russia’s Interior Ministry limits Interpol powers in country

The Russian Interior Ministry has issued an order that restricts the powers of Interpol in the country. The police cooperation organisation will now only be allowed to conduct polls, send official requests, and identify people, Kommersant reports.

The order was approved back on 31 March 2023 but registered on August 17 and published earlier today. The document specifies that Interpol will no longer be cleared to conduct investigations in Russia.

In February, when Russian authorities were discussing the order, Russian lawmakers accused the organisation of “being unfriendly” towards Moscow, suggesting that the access to Russian police databases can be abused for espionage purposes.

Interpol is an international police organisation that coordinates cooperation between law enforcement bodies around the world. Interpol has 195 member states. Russia joined the organisation in 1990.