An important role in the fight against international crime is played by Interpol, an organization that cooperates with the governments and law enforcement agencies of 194 countries. Each of them has a Central Bureau, through which direct interaction is carried out on the ground. The organization, originally created with good intentions, has been increasingly used in recent years by authoritarian regimes, dictators to settle personal scores and political persecution. Although there was a call 10 years ago to improve Interpol’s oversight mechanisms, this problem is still relevant today.

 

One of the main tasks of the Lawrange Lawyers Association is to protect citizens who are unreasonably persecuted by the mechanisms of international search. Our Interpol lawyer has extensive experience with red cards – the entire process of protecting clients in the process of challenging such notices has been worked out to the precision of a clockwork. Faced with this problem, there is a high probability of a significant restriction of human freedom, including the ability to move around the world and conduct business. This is fraught with devastating consequences, ranging from reputational losses to the closure of bank accounts.

 

We provide qualified legal assistance in many jurisdictions. Our specialists speak English and other languages, which, combined with a deep knowledge of the law and the specifics of the activities of international search organizations, opens up wide opportunities for solving your problem. It is enough to contact us at the phone numbers listed on the site, or fill out the form, and we will call you back.

 

Important! Red notices in most cases are placed in a closed database, therefore, it will be possible to achieve their removal, appeal against the international wanted list only with the help of a lawyer specializing in this area of ​​jurisprudence.

 

More about Interpol

This organization carries out the international activities of the criminal police, headquartered in Lyon (France). It has offices in 194 countries around the world – State Central Bureaus, helping to coordinate efforts to pursue a unified international policy regarding common crime.

 

Interpol’s activities are represented, among other things:

 

  • International search for people.
  • Measures to combat the slave trade and organized crime.
  • Opposition to drug smuggling and falsification of securities.
  • The fight against pornography with the participation of children.
  • The exception of offenses in the field of economics, information technology.
  • The fight against terrorism, etc.

 

At the same time, Interpol does not have the authority to search for citizens suspected of political, racial, military or religious crimes. The employees of this organization do not have direct police functions – they do not arrest, do not use service weapons, etc. The main purpose of their work is to coordinate efforts with law enforcement agencies of various countries.

 

Interpol is governed by all sorts of laws and regulations. For example, respect for human rights and the right to privacy is mandatory. There are bodies in the EU dealing with the processing and recording of complaints about violations of the rights of lawyers. So, most often they come in the case of incorrect treatment of a human rights activist or the use of client information without his consent. In the United States, the Federal Fiscal Accountability Office (GAO) has issued recommendations to lawyers in case of problems when interacting with Interpol. In particular, they have the right to turn to their governments for help in resolving the problem that has arisen.

 

Varieties of Interpol notifications and their distinctive features

International transfer of information within the organization is carried out using special cards – notifications with different color markings. There are 9 such cards in total, seven of which have colors:

 

  • Red (RED NOTICE) – used in the case of searching for citizens who are accused of crimes in order to return them to the initiating country.
  • Blue (BLUE NOTICE) – issued in relation to persons for whom information is being collected as part of criminal proceedings, including whereabouts. However, it is not necessary that a person be in the status of a suspect.
  • Green (GREEN NOTICE) – warns law enforcement agencies that this person is conducting criminal activities, is dangerous to society. Often it is issued in the absence of a court decision on recognition as a suspect in a criminal offense.
  • Yellow (YELLOW NOTICE) – in relation to missing persons, or those who cannot independently confirm their identity. In other words, with a yellow notice, Interpol asks the international community for any information that would help identify the missing person.
  • Black (BLACK NOTICE) – information is collected to identify an unidentified corpse.
  • Purple (PURPLE NOTICE) – this type of map appeared relatively recently (in 2014) at the initiative of the UK. It is used when it is necessary to collect information about fraudulent schemes, crime instruments, etc.
  • Orange (ORANGE NOTICE) – issued in case of a serious threat to property, health of citizens.

 

There are also two types of cards without color:

 

  • Informing about citizens and companies subject to UN Security Council sanctions.
  • Informing about the theft of cultural property – used to search for stolen works of art, or to identify such items.

 

Diffusion is also provided for each country – notification and requests for access to the national database of individual states.

 

Important! The red notice and diffusion report the greatest degree of danger. At the same time, the process of entering the red notices lists is not complicated, which is why this type of notification card is often used in political persecution.

 

The procedure for countries to participate in the search by Interpol

An interethnic search can be carried out on the territory of 194 Interpol member states. Typically, this procedure is initiated relative to:

 

  • Suspected of a crime that all jurisdictions recognize.
  • Missing, provided that there is evidence of the possible presence of this person outside the state that initiated the search.
  • Cultural and material values.

 

The standard process of international search is carried out in stages:

 

  • Law enforcement officers of an Interpol member country apply to the NCB with a request.
  • The NCB is checking the request for violations of Article 3 of the Interpol Charter. If the requirements of the charter are met, the information in the request is sent to Lyon.
  • The Interpol secretariat in Lyon re-verifies the request, if necessary, additional documents on the case may be requested.
  • Upon approval, the request is sent to all Interpol member countries, after which a special set of operational-search measures is carried out in each jurisdiction.
  • If the search leads to a positive result, Interpol employees must make sure that there is a contractual and legal basis for the extradition of the criminal (cultural and material value).
  • If the answer to the previous question is yes, the suspect is arrested and the initiator’s country is informed that the transfer procedure must begin. At the same time, a request is sent to Lyon to stop the international search for a specific person.
  • Documents confirming the commission of a crime by the wanted person are sent to the initiating country – this is necessary in order for the court to issue a permit for extradition.
  • Police officers of the country that initiated the international search arrive for the detained suspect to be transported.

 

The described procedure is somewhat faster if the location of the suspect is known. In this case, the request is sent directly to this country, as well as in parallel to Lyon. In the absence of results within 3 months, the urgent method is replaced by the regular search method.

 

Features of checking a person in the lists for the international wanted list through Interpol

Information about the search for a suspect is entered into the Interpol database, access to which depends on the type of notification. So, information on Red, Yellow and sanctions notices is in the public domain. Other types are used only within the organization. An Interpol lawyer can use one of three methods to check the wanted status of a client:

 

  • Checking data in the public domain on the Interpol website is not always an effective method, since in most cases information on the search for persons is placed exclusively in the internal database of this organization.
  • Data search in the National Police of Ukraine. It is also worth noting here that the National Police does not have full access to Interpol’s internal data.
  • Making a request to the Commission that controls Interpol files is the most effective option, helping to determine whether or not Interpol is processing data regarding a client. With a positive development of events, the Commission will issue an appropriate response within a few months.

 

The Interpol lawyer may also submit a pre-emptive request if the client has every reason to believe that they will be the subject of a Red Notice in the future. Our specialist will justify the illegality of the alleged notification, which will increase the chances of a ban on its publication in the future.

 

Your actions when wanted by Interpol

This organization plays an important role in the fight against international crime, while all sorts of shortcomings and errors in its work are not ruled out. If you had to face a problem through Interpol, do not delay a visit to an international lawyer. The availability of qualified legal support in resolving this issue will ensure that you get the best result with minimal losses for you.

 

The Lawyer presenter at The Interpol will help protect your rights by cooperating with this organization strictly within the established procedures and rules. Turning to Attorneys association Lawrange, you can count on the prompt entry of a lawyer into the case and the search for the best way out of the current situation.

 

Important! Do not attempt to resolve the situation yourself, as there is a near 100% chance of making some kind of mistake, fraught with serious consequences, including imprisonment, blocking of accounts, confiscation of property and extradition. Untimely appeal to a specialist also threatens your business with reputational losses.

 

When you find yourself in the list of Interpol bases, follow a simple algorithm:

 

  • Do not panic.
  • Contact us by phone or leave a request on the site.
  • Describe your situation in detail.
  • Follow our lawyer’s instructions.

 

Depending on the situation, the specialist will take a set of measures aimed at protecting the interests of the client. This may be a request to the File Control Commission described above, a request to suspend the Red Card, etc.

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Procedure and grounds for contesting notifications

You can remove data from the Interpol search database by contacting the General Secretariat of this organization and the Commission (CCF). A Lawrange attorney will prepare and file a formal request to remove a given notice. In the event that CCF refuses to comply with this requirement, it will apply for a review of such decision. At the same time, the following facts provided for by the rules of this organization serve as the reason for deleting data about a citizen from the Interpol database:

 

  • Information about the person was posted in violation of the current conditions provided by the Convention on the Protection of Rights, Article 2-3 of the Interpol Constitution, data processing rules.
  • The information in the request does not meet the requirements of the tracing organization, or the national bureau of the initiating country could independently solve this problem.
  • The purpose of placing the request has already been reached.
  • Placing a request violates the rights of individuals to protect personal data with the risk of further unlawful processing.

 

If a lawyer manages to convince Interpol that one or more of the paragraphs described applies to his client, a mechanism to remove the notification from the database may be activated.

 

Important! Political refugees or persons who suspect that they are being prosecuted by the authorities using Interpol should file a preventive petition with the CCF. This step guarantees a more thorough check of the request of the initiating country.

 

Conditions for putting on the international wanted list

The main reason for declaring an international wanted list is the commission of a crime for which any of the 194 jurisdictions provides for serious punishment. There are also other conditions:

 

  • You can be searched with the help of Interpol if they are reliably sure that you have crossed the border.
  • High chances of an international wanted list if the wanted person has relatives and friends outside the country.
  • If law enforcement agencies receive information about the citizen’s intention to leave the state.

 

An individual or legal entity can be searched purely at the initiative of the law enforcement agencies of the initiating country (Ministry of Internal Affairs, bailiffs, tax services, etc.). When submitting a request, law enforcement officers must indicate the grounds and measure of restraint chosen by the wanted person. They also stipulate the expediency of controlling the offender in the event of his detection, detention or extradition.

 

In what cases is it possible to terminate the international search

In the presence of at least one of the following conditions, Interpol terminates the notification:

 

  • It was possible to achieve the goal of searching for the defendant, accused or convicted person.
  • The wanted person has been extradited by foreign authorities or imprisoned in another jurisdiction.
  • The wanted person has already been detained in the country that initiated this procedure.
  • The investigation has evidence that the person is dead – this can be confirmed by documents or a discovered corpse.
  • The criminal case against the wanted person was terminated.
  • The measure of restraint in the form of detention was replaced by another one.
  • There is an amnesty.

 

Lawrange lawyers will study your problem in detail and take all necessary actions to successfully resolve it. The main thing is to seek qualified legal assistance in a timely manner.

 

Why choose Lawrange

An Interpol lawyer, whose services you can use in our company, has sufficient skills and knowledge in the field of international criminal law and the activities of international investigative organizations. Our specialists are fluent in the official languages of Interpol (French, English, etc.), so they can successfully represent your interests.

 

It is also worth noting that Lawrange works closely with clients’ immigration lawyers to better understand the nature of the Interpol notice. If necessary, our specialist will provide the court with detailed information on national legislation, affairs and practice of INTERPOL.

 

Main services on issues related to Interpol:

 

  • Request for access – we will find out exactly what information about the client is processed by Interpol and we will find grounds for challenging this process.
  • Pre-emptive Inquiry – we start acting when our clients only begin to suspect that an arrest warrant may soon be issued.
  • Request for deletion – we send it if a Red Notice has already been published.
  • Reconsideration Statements – If CCF refuses to remove the Red Notice, we will proceed to the next step in advocating for your interests and rights.
  • Assistance with extradition issues – working with local lawyers helps us prevent our clients from being expelled from the country.

 

The latter service is no less relevant than the previous ones, since the system of international extradition of persons is often used for the purpose of raider seizure of business or organization of political persecution of an opponent.

 

Many years of experience in protecting clients, combined with a highly developed service, makes Lawrange Attorneys association an effective tool in the fight for justice. Contact us today to feel confident in the future as soon as possible.

 

Conclusions

The international investigative organization Interpol provides a valuable service to law enforcement agencies. However, it is often used for political persecution of opponents or to settle personal scores. For those who have encountered the problem of the Red Notice (or any other), we recommend that you immediately contact our specialist. A lawyer representative in Interpol will first consult in detail on your issue, then proceed to the direct protection of rights and freedoms. Our company has repeatedly sought the removal of various notifications. We have an impressive case of appealing against the international wanted list of Ukraine and other countries, so we give high chances for a successful solution to your problem.

 

FAQ

How long does it take to consider an application to Interpol?

The duration of this process depends on the specifics of the case, subject to which the following periods of time are possible:

 

  • Within a day from the date of application.
  • Very urgent – within 3 days.
  • Urgent – 5 days.
  • Normal – 10 days.

 

Does a Red Notice mean that a person has been placed on suspicion and sentenced to detention?

Yes, if a person is wanted with the help of this notification, then in Ukraine he has already been raised a suspicion. However, often in such cases it becomes possible to appeal the relevant court decision.

 

What happens if an Interpol wanted message is triggered while crossing the border?

In Ukraine, this person can be detained with the preparation of an appropriate protocol, searched, handed over to law enforcement agencies, taken to court, or extradited. However, there are situations when Ukraine may refuse to extradite a person.

 

 

 

 

 

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