Meng Hongwei, head of Interpol, under investigation in China

The accusation is that he "violated the law", perhaps with acts of corruption. His wife had reported his disappearance last week. Meng was vice-minister of Public Security in China. Another high-profile personality falls prey to Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign. Meng's wife and children are under the protection of the French police, having received death threats. The appeal of Wei Jingsheng.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - Meng Hongwei, head of Interpol, is under investigation for "violating the law". This is according to a statement issued last night by China’s National Supervision Commission.

Meng's wife, Grace, had reported her husband went missing last week from Lyon, where Interpol center is located. She stated that the last communication with her husband, from China, had been a text message and an emoji with the image of a knife.

Shortly after the communication from China on his arrest and investigation, Interpol declared that they received Meng's resignations and he was dismissed "with immediate effect".

The National Supervision Commission was launched in March 2018 at the behest of President Xi Jinping to deal with corruption cases in the public administration. It works in close contact with the the Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Meng, 65, worked for 40 years in Public Security, reaching the position of Deputy Minister. He is one of the "tigers" that Xi Jinping targeted in his campaign against corruption. Five years ago, another senior security man, Zhou Yongkang, was shot before him.

Meng had become deputy minister of security and head of Interpol in China in 2004. In November 2016 he was appointed president of Interpol, the first Chinese to hold this role in an international police body.

Signals of difficulties had emerged last April, when Meng was removed from the leadership in the Ministry of Public Security.

Meanwhile in Lyon, Meng's wife and children were put under police protection, having received death threats.

In an appeal in favor of Meng's family, Wei Jingsheng, a dissident exiled in the US, points out China's contempt for human rights and international rules and demands that China always inform the family about the prisoner's situation and that his rights be respected. Wei also asks Interpol to remain vigilant over Beijing's behavoir.

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