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An Interpol Red Notice refers to the red alert Interpol issued by Interpol’s General Secretariat following a request from a member country. The requesting country could be seeking assistance to locate, arrest or extradite an individual scheduled to face a criminal investigation or charges.
The Interpol Red Notice serves as a crucial tool in the global fight against transnational crime and fugitives. As an international alert, it enables law enforcement agencies across the world to collaborate and apprehend criminals evading justice in their home countries, making the world a safer place. Issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), this powerful instrument has proven its effectiveness by facilitating the identification, location, and eventual extradition or surrender of high-profile criminals to the authorities of countries seeking to prosecute or sentence them. With increasing connectivity and improved intelligence sharing among nations, the Interpol Red Notice continues to fortify global security by closing the net around fugitives and ensuring they face the consequences of their actions.
Interpol red notice contains the following information:
The legitimacy of Red Notices Interpol depends on whether they have complied with Interpol’s set rules and regulations. Once the Interpol Red Notice has met the set requirements, the fugitive can be arrested at any time and in any member state. This can happen when crossing the border, traveling, or in their home.
However, Interpol cannot coerce its member states to arrest individuals appearing on the Red Notice list Interpol. Every member has the legal power to accept or decline Red Notice requests within its borders.
According to INTERPOL, the objective of a Red Notice is to “seek the location and arrest of wanted people with a view to extradition or comparable legitimate action.”
A Red Notice is frequently referred to as an “international arrest warrant“. This is untrue. According to INTERPOL, a Red Notice “is not an international arrest order.” This Notice, on the other hand, “merely informs other member nations that the individual is sought based on an arrest warrant or comparable court judgment issued by a country or an international tribunal.” Red Notices must adhere to strict guidelines outlined in INTERPOL’s constitution. They must include significant ordinary-law offenses that are not related to behavioral or cultural standards, family or private affairs, or private conflicts that are not serious or unrelated to organized crime, and they must reach a sentence threshold. To learn more about what a Red Notice is and isn’t, go to https://www.interpol.int/en/How-we-work/Notices/Red-Notices.
When the issuing country is looking for an individual, it means the person is suspected of committing a serious crime such as murder, rape, or genocide in a given country. However, it does not necessarily have to be a home country; it may be the foreign country where the wanted person committed the crime. Technically, the individual being sought is considered innocent until proven guilty.
Interpol has a specialized task force that checks all Red Notices to ensure they comply with Interpol rules and regulations. This task force weighs the case’s civil, political, and human rights aspects against criminal aspects (ordinary law) to determine the predominant aspect. This way, it is able to know whether an Interpol Red Notice list is valid or not based on the set guidelines in its Constitution.
A Red Notice, or “Red Corner Notice,” is a request by Interpol to its member nations to locate a suspect or convict and facilitate their surrender to the requesting state, often via extradition. The legal weight of a Red Notice varies by country, and not all accept it as grounds for arrest. However, its practical effect is significant: international travel becomes risky, leading to potential detainment and notification of the requesting state, often followed by an extradition request. Publicly listed Red Notices can damage reputations and lead to bank account closures..
Interpol’s Red Notice List is a key international tool for tracking and locating fugitives and persons of interest globally. Recognized internationally, it aids in capturing individuals involved in serious crimes, including terrorism, human trafficking, and crimes against humanity. Compiled with the help of nearly 200 member countries, it operates continuously, updating with new intelligence. The list represents a vital multinational effort to enhance global safety and security, promoting international cooperation in pursuing justice.
Interpol Red Notices are international requests issued by member countries to locate and arrest individuals wanted for prosecution or sentencing. These notices serve as a vital tool for global law enforcement cooperation. Here is a brief overview of Interpol Red Notices issued by the following countries:
The standard validity of an Interpol Red Notice is five years. However, this period may vary depending on specific circumstances. For instance, an Interpol Red Notice can be withdrawn earlier following a request of the member state who asked for its issuance or following an Interpol Red Notice removal decision of the General Secretary.
The validity of a Red Notice can also be extended for specific reasons. For example, the General Secretary can extend its expiry period if the wanted person is not arrested yet.
Red Notices can persist for months or years, even after charges are dropped or the individual is arrested, if the requesting member fails to ask Interpol for their removal. Specialists from Interpol red notice investigation law firms can explain how Red Notices function and assist in filing a request for removal from Interpol’s list.
It is usually hard to know if you are in Interpol’s Red Notice target. Usually, red notice people become aware of it during extreme instances such as an arrest warrant. In most cases, most of the information concerning prominent Red Notices remains confidential until they are executed.
However, some local regulations in certain countries allow people to access their Red Notice information. You can also contact the CCF and request access to the Red Note data Interpol. This notice that the request must be admissible for the CCF to check it whether you have an outstanding Interpol Red Notice. Interpol red notice investigation lawyers can help you find information about you on the lists and provide notice investigation defense.
Read more about How to know if you are wanted by Interpol
It is not always simple to determine if you are subject to a Red Notice/Diffusion. There are three primary approaches to this:
Check the INTERPOL website’s ‘wanted individuals’ section.
This page includes excerpts from some, but not all, Red Notices. If your name does show on this page, it will also offer a very general indication of what type of offense you are sought for, for example, ‘stealing’. You will need to pursue one of the other steps outlined below to receive more precise information.
Even if your name is not on this list, you may still be subject to a Red Notice because only some Red Notices are displayed on this website. The rest are only accessible through INTERPOL’s restricted networks, which are only accessible to national law enforcement authorities.
Diffusions are never shown on INTERPOL’s website, thus you will not be included on this page if you are the victim of one.
Several persons Fair Trials has dealt with have been able to acquire information simply by asking authorities in their own country. Although there is no legal mechanism in place for this, people have got replies in certain circumstances on an informal basis.
Be aware that police might not have access to INTERPOL data and may not be able to confirm whether information about you exists. A police statement indicating no information on file isn’t conclusive, as they might not be able to access relevant INTERPOL databases.
You might be able to request information access under your country’s data protection laws. For instance, European Union countries typically have provisions for individuals to access their data held in government files. However, there can be exceptions for law enforcement purposes, potentially restricting access. It’s advisable to consult a lawyer in your country for guidance.
You can apply to access your file via the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) Requests Chamber. The CCF ensures INTERPOL’s data processing complies with its rules. It comprises two chambers: the Advisory Chamber and the Requests Chamber. The latter handles requests for accessing, modifying, or deleting data in INTERPOL’s databases. It consists of five members, all lawyers, including one with global police experience and another with a senior judicial or prosecutorial background. The remaining three are experts in data security, international criminal law, and human rights.
Each request to the CCF must fulfill the ‘admissibility conditions’ (see below).
The Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) is located at 200 Quai Charles de Gaulle 69006 Lyon, France.
Ensure to address your envelope specifically to the Requests Chamber of the CCF. Mail sent to INTERPOL at the same address might be opened by the General Secretariat. Information provided can be used for police cooperation, potentially being logged in databases and shared with National Central Bureaus (NCBs).
It is important to contact an Interpol red notice lawyer if you find yourself on the red list Interpol. Rules surrounding Interpol alerts are complex, and the organization doesn’t provide legal aid when challenging a Red Notice.
Even if Interpol removes you from the Red Notice or informs member countries of its deletion, there’s still a risk. The information often stays in local police databases for a while, potentially leading to arrest under certain conditions, such as when providing a passport at border crossings.
Therefore, ensure you always carry a copy of the letter indicating that you have been removed from Interpol records. You can request this red notice letter from the CCF to prove that you are no longer in Interpol’s systems. Finally, you can contact Interpol’s red notice removal lawyers in country you intend to visit so that the local law enforcement officers can remove your name from their national police databases. Our Interpol red notice lawyers will explain what red notice means, and help you and provide explanation.
