Misuse of Interpol’s Red Notices and impact on human rights – recent developments

Studie 17-01-2019

International organisations continue to report the abuse by some states of Interpol’s Notice System to persecute national human rights defenders, civil society activists and critical journalists in violation of international standards of human rights. Available case studies, written reports and interviews with organisations working in the field confirm the reported abuses. Recent Interpol reforms have made significant impact on safeguarding individuals both substantially and procedurally. Nevertheless, and especially considering the significant increase in the number of Notices and Diffusions in the Interpol system, reforms remain to be fully implemented and transparency and enforcement mechanisms continue to leave room for improvement. Taking as a point of departure the responses from the EU institutions and bodies, and EU Member States, the study recommends taking further steps for Interpol to ensure full implementation of recent reforms, a fully transparent system and consistent legal and procedural safeguards for individuals in the Interpol Notice System..