The threat of an Interpol Red Notice must be taken very seriously as it can affect all aspects of a person’s life. Fortunately, an Interpol Red Notice can be challenged before it is in circulation. Therefore, if there are indications that you may be the future target of an Interpol Red Notice or Diffusion, it is possible to prepare a challenge to prevent the Red Notice or Diffusion from being published in the first place. Our expert Interpol lawyers at Schlun & Elseven are here to help you take control of the situation in advance.

All member countries of Interpol, as well as International Criminal Courts and tribunals, can request an Interpol Red Notice to be issued. The Interpol General Secretariat reviews the request and decides whether the Notice is approved. Red Notices are generally approved as long as they comply with Interpol’s Rules. The objective of an Interpol Red Notice is to arrest and extradite a wanted person to the country that requested the issuance of the Red Notice. Once a Red Notice is published, it informs police authorities in all member states about the suspect and their charges.

An Interpol Red Notice’s consequences are far-reaching and where possible, must be prevented. Acting decisively in challenging the Notice is critical. Being the subject of a Red Notice can impact your life in many ways. Not only does it ensure that international travel will put you at risk of arrest, but a public Interpol Red Notice can also affect your personal and business reputation. Examples of its impact on a person’s professional life include having their bank accounts frozen and potentially facing the termination of their employment contract. Once arrested, those impacted might also face lengthy extradition proceedings and a criminal trial in the requesting country.

Firstly, those potentially affected need to review whether there is already an Interpol Red Notice against them. The Interpol Red Notice database accessible to the public online only features a fraction of all Interpol Red Notices circulating. Hence, you may be the subject of a Red Notice even if you are not publicly listed. Interpol Diffusions, a mechanism similar to a Red Notice, are entirely not visible in the database.

Once we request access to your file from the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) and it does not contain a Red Notice, we send a preventive request to the CCF stating how you are wrongly targeted or how the anticipated request is based on false or insufficient information. Interpol’s rules state that all data stored in Interpol information systems must be accurate, relevant, up-to-date, and not excessive concerning their purpose. The preventive request aims to block any processing in Interpol’s files of data later sent by the national authorities, which you fear to send a request for a Red Notice to Interpol— this way, the CCF is alerted for a possibly abusive request towards you when reviewing it.

The request needs to be sent to the CCF. The CCF, the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files, is an independent and impartial body of Interpol that processes all requests for access and deletion to Interpol’s files and applications for revision. It is responsible for reviewing notice requests to ensure they comply with Interpol’s Rules and Regulations. However, the CCF does not investigate if the charges against you, claimed by the country requesting the Notice, are valid. It only examines compliance with the Organizations‘ rules.

If you suspect you may be the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, you should contact us immediately to assess your legal options and determine the appropriate course of action. We can advise you on the specific steps you can take to address the situation, which may include communicating with Interpol or other law enforcement agencies directly. Contact us now.