Interpol rejects Ukraine's request to exclude Russia from the organization

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) rejected Ukraine's request to exclude Russia from the international organization despite Britain and Poland's support for Moscow's suspension.

A spokesman for the Interpol General Secretariat said only the General Assembly could vote on issues related to membership, according to the Guardian newspaper.

The General Assembly, INTERPOL's supreme governing body, includes representatives from all 195 member states.

Interpol is a supranational body that provides investigative support to member states, through the Red Notice system that reports international suspects.

The newspaper pointed out that Russia's continued inclusion in the organization gives it access to the Red Notice database and potential support on a larger scale.

Earlier this week, Ukraine's Interior Minister Denis Monastirsky wrote to the organization requesting the expulsion of Russia after it launched a special military operation in southeastern Ukraine.

Britain and Poland have backed Ukraine's efforts, although the two countries have called for Russia to be suspended rather than excluded.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news