Top job may go to Alexander Prokopchuk, who is accused of abusing power at Russian bureau


Western officials and Kremlin critics are watching with mounting alarm as Interpol prepares for a vote that could put a Russian interior ministry general in charge.

The general assembly of Interpol, which facilitates international police cooperation, is under way in Dubai and will vote on a new president on Wednesday. Alexander Prokopchuk, who was appointed to lead the Russian bureau of Interpol in 2011 and is currently a vice-president of the organisation, is considered to be the leading candidate. Critics say that he oversaw a policy of systematically targeting critics and dissidents during his time in charge of the Russian office of Interpol.

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