Source:
https://scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3083908/interpol-issues-wanted-notice-us-diplomats-wife-anne-sacoolas
World/ Europe

Interpol ‘issues wanted notice’ for US diplomat’s wife Anne Sacoolas over car crash that killed British teen Harry Dunn

  • United States has refused to extradite Sacoolas, saying she has diplomatic immunity
  • Case has caused friction between London and Washington, as Britain complains of ‘denial of justice’
Charlotte Charles, mother of Harry Dunn, takes part in a demonstration in London during a visit by US President Donald Trump in December. Photo: AP

Interpol has issued a wanted notice for Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US diplomat, who is wanted in Britain over a fatal car crash in a case that has caused friction between London and Washington, ITV reported on Monday.

“An Interpol Red Notice has been issued for 42-year-old Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US intelligence official charged with causing the death of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn by dangerous driving,” ITV reporter Adam Clark said on Twitter.

Interpol’s website says a Red Notice is “a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action”. Interpol issues such requests at the request of a member country, and they are not an international arrest warrant.

Britain in January criticised the United States for refusing to extradite Sacoolas. The US State Department has said Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity and that to extradite her would set “an extraordinarily troubling precedent”.

Tim Dunn and Charlotte Charles, parents of Harry Dunn, leave the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London, Britain in October. Photo: Reuters
Tim Dunn and Charlotte Charles, parents of Harry Dunn, leave the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London, Britain in October. Photo: Reuters

The case prompted an intervention from President Donald Trump in October last year, when he hosted Dunn’s parents at the White House and tried unsuccessfully to persuade them to meet Sacoolas, without having given them prior notice that she was in the building.

The British government continues to believe that Sacoolas should return to face justice, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Monday.

Asked about the ITV report, Johnson’s spokesman repeated the government’s position that the decision not to extradite her was a “denial of justice”.

“She should return to the UK, we have made this clear to the US, including the prime minister to President Trump,” he said.

Interpol did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.