Bill Browder, an international businessman who became a famous critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said he was briefly detained in Spain Wednesday on phony Russian Interpol arrest warrant.
Browder tweeted out his detention Wednesday afternoon in Spain, local time. He also tweeted a picture he took from the back of the car, and showed a copy of the arrest warrant.
“Urgent: Just was arrested by Spanish police in Madrid on a Russian Interpol arrest warrant,” he wrote. “Going to the police station right now.”
Urgent: Just was arrested by Spanish police in Madrid on a Russian Interpol arrest warrant. Going to the police station right now.
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) May 30, 2018
In the back of the Spanish police car going to the station on the Russian arrest warrant. They won’t tell me which station pic.twitter.com/Xwj27xC7Zd
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) May 30, 2018
This is the arrest warrant pic.twitter.com/Cr1Sf4vS4a
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) May 30, 2018
Browder was only held briefly, however, and local reports said he was picked up on an expired warrant.
But Browder said in another tweet that it was a new arrest warrant, and accused Russia of abusing the Interpol system to harass him.
Good news. Spanish National Police just released me after Interpol General Secretary in Lyon advised them not to honor the new Russian Interpol Red Notice. This is the 6th time that Russia has abused Interpol in my case pic.twitter.com/ZonzXizvIJ
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) May 30, 2018
Browder was a major supporter of efforts to pass the Magnitsky Act in the United States. That law is named after Sergei Magnitsky, whom Browder employed in Russia and who died in 2009.
Browder and others say Magnitsky was unfairly detained, tortured and then murdered by Russian officials. Magnitsky had worked to expose corruption in Putin’s government.
