kayhan.ir

News ID: 86547
Publish Date : 12 January 2021 - 21:23
Viewpoint

Time for INTERPOL to Drop Double Standards



By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer

Should we consider it as heartening news? Does it raise our expectation that the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) would live up to its duty in handing over to the Islamic Republic for a fair trial criminals who have committed acts of terrorism and shed innocent blood?
We are referring to the news item on Tuesday which said that the France-based organization has issued a wanted notice for two Russians and a Portuguese man over explosive material that had been shipped to Beirut and stored at the city’s port for six years until it exploded on August 4.
The massive blast killed at least 200 people, injured thousands and caused wide destruction in the Lebanese capital.
According to reports, Interpol has issued ‘Red Notices’ for the owner and captain of the Rhosus, the ship that carried the 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate to Lebanon in 2013, as well as a Portuguese nitrate trader who visited the port’s warehouse in Beirut in 2014 where the material was stored.
A ‘Red Notice’ is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.
Good to learn that absconding criminals would be brought to justice. Hopefully Interpol would now take up the two pending requests on its table by the Islamic Republic of Iran to issue ‘Red Notices’ for a group of terroristic criminals involved in the unpardonable murder of some prominent personalities.
Over a week ago, Iran had asked Interpol to issue a ‘Red Notice’ for the arrest of the criminal US president, Donald Trump and 47 other American culprits responsible for the targeted killing a year ago of the iconic anti-terrorist figures, Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani and Iraq’s Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, at Baghdad international airport while on a diplomatic mission.
A few days ago, Iranian police also asked Interpol to issue another ‘Red Notice’ to arrest four Israelis involved in the unmanly murder near Tehran in late November of prominent Iranian scientist Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
Interpol had initially shown its reluctance to arrest the terrorist Trump and members of his criminal clique, obviously because of the political power this scoundrel wields.
Interpol, if it is committed to its charter, ought to overcome this hesitancy now that the outgoing US president who will no longer be in power from January 20 onwards, is facing criminal charges in his own country following his incitement of a group of ruffians to storm the US Congress in Washington.
In the words of Iran’s Judiciary Chief, Hojjat al-Islam Ibrahim Raisi: "Trump will have to pay back, whatever his position. Whether he heads the US administration or not, he should face retribution for the atrocity he has perpetrated.”
The duty of the Interpol is to provide investigative support, expertise, and training to law enforcement worldwide, focusing on three major areas of transnational crime: terrorism, cybercrime, and organized crime. Its broad mandate covers virtually every kind of crime, including crimes against humanity, child pornography, drug trafficking and production, political corruption, copyright infringement, and white-collar crime.
It is clear that Trump and his terrorist clique, as well as four of the Israeli terrorists, are culpable and punishable according to the above-mentioned clauses of Interpol.
The sooner these criminals are brought to justice the better for the peace of the world, as well as the reputation of Interpol, otherwise it would be viewed as not just a toothless organization but a one mired in hypocrisy.