A Bahraini activist’s deportation from Serbia raises questions about the role of Interpol

Political dissident Ahmed Jaffar Mohammed Ali was deported back to Bahrain, nine years after he fled the country, with the apparent collusion of Interpol, writes Borzou Daragahi

Bahrain’s interior ministry has confirmed the extradition of Ali (Joseph Eid/AFP/Getty)

Labour rights activist Ahmed Jaffar Mohammed Ali found a measure of sanctuary after falling foul of the Bahraini regime and allegedly being subject to torture, abuse and years of legal entanglements. Unluckily for him, he found it in Serbia, a Balkan nation increasingly cosy with the very same monarchical dictatorship he had escaped.

In the early morning on 24 January, he was deported back to Bahrain, nine years after he fled the country. The extradition took place with the apparent collusion of Interpol, the international law enforcement body, and despite a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling ordering him to stay put, pending further hearings.

This is a case that should worry everyone. It touches upon the growing chumminess between authoritarian governments across the world, and raises disturbing questions about the role of Interpol.