Alexander Prokopchuk
{{short description|Russian police officer}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| office = Vice President of Interpol
| term end =
| termstart = 10 November 2016
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|11|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Ukraine SSR, USSR
| alma_mater = Kyiv State University
Financial University
| relations = Ihor Prokopchuk (brother)
| president = Meng Hongwei
Kim Jong Yang
| 1blankname = Secretary-General
| 1namedata = Jürgen Stock
}}
Alexander Vasilyevich Prokopchuk ({{langx|ru|Александр Васильевич Прокопчук}}; 18 November 1961) is a Russian employee of the internal affairs agencies, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation National Central Bureau of Interpol from 14 June 2011, and vice-president of Interpol from 10 November 2016.{{Cite news|title=В МВД подтвердили назначение россиянина вице-президентом Интерпола|url=https://ria.ru/world/20161110/1481056643.html|work=RIA Novosti|access-date=2016-11-10}}
Early life and education
Prokopchuk was born in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR. He graduated from Kyiv State University with a degree in Romano-Germanic Languages and Literature in 1983, and the Financial University with a degree in law in 2000. Candidate of Economic Sciences.{{Cite news|title=Александр Васильевич Прокопчук. Биографическая справка|url=https://ria.ru/spravka/20110614/388181913.html|work=RIA Novosti|access-date=2016-11-10}}{{Cite news|title=Times назвала Прокопчука главным претендентом на пост главы Интерпола|url=https://www.kp.ru/online/news/3299453/|work=Komsomolskaya Pravda|access-date=2018-11-17}}
Controversy and career
Following the unexpected disappearance of Meng Hongwei by Chinese authorities in 2018, Prokopchuk became the likely successor to Hongwei as President of Interpol.{{cite news |url=https://meduza.io/en/feature/2018/11/19/moscow-accuses-bill-browder-of-poisoning-sergey-magnitsky-as-russia-is-expected-to-win-interpol-s-next-presidency |title=Moscow accuses Bill Browder of poisoning Sergey Magnitsky, as Russia is expected to win Interpol's next presidency |work=Meduza.io |date=19 November 2018 |access-date=9 March 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/russia-american-bill-browder-poisoning-lawyer-putin-1221857 |title=Bill Browder Says Russia Accusing Him of Poisoning Lawyer Who Was Tortured in Prison Is Part of Putin's 'Vendetta' |work=Newsweek |last=Maza |first=Cristina |date=19 November 2018 |access-date=9 March 2020}} However, both Bill Browder of Hermitage Capital Management and Mikhail Khodorkovsky lobbied against Prokopchuk stating that his presidency would be like the mafia running a police organization.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-interpol-idUSKCN1NP1XL |title=Kremlin critics unite to try to stop Russian becoming Interpol head |work=Reuters |last1=Faulconbridge |first1=Guy |last2=Osborn |first2=Andrew |date=20 November 2018 |access-date=9 March 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www.ocweekly.com/a-clockwork-orange-dont-mess-with-bill/ |title=A Clockwork Orange: Don't Mess With Bill |work=OC Weekly |last=Coker |first=Matt |date=29 November 2018 |access-date=9 March 2020 |archive-date=29 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129200749/https://www.ocweekly.com/a-clockwork-orange-dont-mess-with-bill/}}{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kremlin-us-meddling-selection-interpol-head-1.4912629 |title=Top Kremlin critics aim to stop Russian from becoming Interpol head: Move would be akin to 'putting the mafia in charge,' Bill Browder says |work=CBC |agency=Reuters |date=20 November 2018 |access-date=9 March 2020}} Bill Browder asserted that Prokopchuk is one of Vladimir Putin's puppets and urged Canada to help expel Russia from Interpol.{{cite news |url=https://usnewstoday.live/browder-urged-canada-to-help/ |title=Browder urged Canada to help to expel Russia from the Interpol |work=US News |last=Phillips |first=John |date=23 November 2018 |access-date=9 March 2020}} On 21 November 2018, Interpol elected Kim Jong-yang from South Korea as its president.{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/21/interpol-elects-south-korean-as-president-rejecting-russian-contender.html |title=Interpol elects South Korean as chief, rejecting controversial Russian contender |work=MSNBC |last=Turak |first=Natasha |date=21 November 2018 |access-date=9 March 2020}}
Personal life
His younger brother, Ihor Prokopchuk, is a Ukrainian diplomat who serves as the country's permanent representative to the OSCE.[https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-polytics/2583266-mzs-prokomentuvalo-rodinni-zvazki-diplomata-prokopcuka-z-kandidatom-u-prezidenti-interpolu.html МЗС прокоментувало родинні зв'язки дипломата Прокопчука з кандидатом у президенти Інтерполу][https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2018/11/19/7198712/ Брат кандидата з РФ на пост глави Інтерполу представляє Україну в ОБСЄ – ЗМІ]
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://мвд.рф/mvd/Rukovodstvo/item/792261 Alexander Prokopchuk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005120803/https://xn--b1aew.xn--p1ai/mvd/Rukovodstvo/item/792261/ |date=2021-10-05 }} at the MIA
- [http://www.aif.ru/dontknows/file/vice-prezident_interpola_aleksandr_prokopchuk_dose Александр Прокопчук. Досье] // Argumenty i fakty
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Prokopchuk, Alexander}}
Category:Russian major generals
Category:International law scholars
Category:Russian police officers
Category:Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv alumni
Category:Russian people of Ukrainian descent
Category:Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation alumni