INTERPOL and International Search: Protection Against Cross-Border Abuse
This report by Observatoire ARGA and ARGA Atlas examines the mechanisms of international police cooperation through INTERPOL and the related risks for liberty, reputation, asylum rights, access to financial infrastructure and the lawful interests of individuals and legal entities.
The authors show that Red Notices, diffusions and other forms of data exchange may produce immediate and serious consequences: detention at a border, provisional arrest, travel restrictions, visa refusals, banking checks, account closures and reputational harm. These consequences often arise before an independent body has assessed the legality and validity of the underlying request.
The report focuses in particular on situations where international search mechanisms are used not for good-faith criminal cooperation, but as instruments of political, corporate or property-related pressure. In such cases, a domestic criminal case becomes a source of cross-border risk, while INTERPOL channels may amplify the consequences of disputed or abusive prosecution.
The report’s central conclusion is that defense in INTERPOL-related cases must be treated as a distinct field of legal work. An effective strategy requires analysis of the quality of the national criminal case, preparation of submissions to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files, coordination with extradition and asylum procedures, and subsequent restoration of legal, financial and reputational status.
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