Top Putin critic freed after being detained in Spain on Russian warrant

A top critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was briefly detained by Spanish police acting on a “Russian Interpol arrest warrant.”

Bill Browder, a British financer, tweeted a photo from the back of a police car in Madrid on Wednesday.

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

He also shared a copy of the arrest warrant from the National Police Force Directorate General informing him of his right to remain silent, obtain a lawyer and call his family.

This is the arrest warrant pic.twitter.com/Cr1Sf4vS4a

— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) May 30, 2018

Browder, however, shared that the Spanish National Police released him hours after “Interpol General Secretary in Lyon advised them not to honor the new Russian Interpol Red Notice.”

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 said it was the sixth time Russia has used Interpol — the International Criminal Police Organization — to detain him.

“It was NOT an expired warrant, but a live one,” Browder said. “Interpol is incapable of stopping Russian abuse of their systems.”

Just to be clear, my arrest this morning in Madrid was the result of a SIXTH Russian arrest warrant using Interpol channels. It was NOT an expired warrant, but a live one. Interpol is incapable of stopping Russian abuse of their systems.

— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) May 30, 2018

Browder had his United States travel privileges revoked last year, apparently triggered by Russia’s decision to try and place Browder on the Interpol wanted list in pursuit of his arrest.

He was in Madrid to give evidence to anti-Russian mafia prosecutor Jose Grinda “about a huge amount of money” that he says has flowed in to Spain regarding the case of former lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

Ironically, the reason I’m in Madrid is to give evidence to senior Spanish anti Russian mafia prosecutor Jose Grinda about the huge amount of money from the Magnitsky case that flowed to Spain. Now that I’m released my mission carries on. Meeting with Prosector Grinda now

— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) May 30, 2018

Magnitsky was exposing how corrupt officials and police officers orchestrated a multimillion-dollar tax fraud scheme when he was arrested in 2008. He died after nearly a year in a Russian prison, where he was reportedly severely beaten and denied medical care.

Browder helped push for the U.S. to pass the Magnitsky Act in 2012 — a bill which freezes the visas and assets of Russians suspected of human rights abuses by the US government.

Russia retaliated by cutting off the U.S. adoption of Russian children.

Canada passed its own Magnitsky Act in October and a “Magnitsky amendment” was added to U.K. legislation last week, BuzzFeed News reported.