The International Criminal Police Organization — INTERPOL — plays a central role in international police cooperation. However, when a person is listed in INTERPOL’s systems, the consequences may be serious and immediate. An INTERPOL notice, diffusion, or other form of international alert can affect not only the risk of arrest or extradition, but also a person’s immigration status, travel, banking, business activity, and professional opportunities.

Possible consequences include:

• Refusal of residence permits or naturalisation
• Rejection of visa applications
• Restrictions on banking, business registration, licensing, accreditation, and professional partnerships
• Risk of arrest while travelling
• Exposure to extradition proceedings

Aida Litigation assists individuals, families, and lawyers in challenging different forms of INTERPOL data and international police alerts, including:

INTERPOL Red Notice removal
INTERPOL Blue Notice deletion
INTERPOL Yellow Notice blocking or revision
INTERPOL Green Notice challenge

An INTERPOL case requires careful legal preparation. The Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) applies a strict framework when examining requests for access, correction, deletion, or revision of data processed in INTERPOL’s systems. A weak or incomplete application may seriously affect the applicant’s position, as the CCF will generally not re-examine substantially the same case unless new and relevant facts are submitted. There is also no ordinary appeal body before which a CCF decision can be challenged.

Extradition is a high-stakes procedure which, in some cases, may be carried out without a proper examination of the underlying criminal file. Courts may authorise extradition without fully assessing the risks that the requested person could face upon surrender. In such circumstances, recourse to international human rights mechanisms may be the only effective way to influence the national process, ensure that the case is examined in depth, and require proper consideration of human rights law.

Engagement with international human rights mechanisms, both intergovernmental and non-governmental, may form part of a broader defence strategy or operate as a stand-alone safeguard where no effective domestic protection is available. This may include communication with institutions and organisations such as the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Fair Trials, OMCT, and other relevant human rights bodies. When combined with a properly tailored national defence strategy, these mechanisms can create substantial legal, procedural, and practical pressure.

In some cases, work with international institutions becomes the only genuine last resort, particularly where extradition, expulsion, or surrender is imminent. In urgent cases, international protection tools may be decisive. The European Court of Human Rights, the Committee Against Torture, and the Human Rights Committee may indicate interim measures capable of suspending extradition, expulsion, or transfer. Interim measures indicated by the ECtHR are binding on Council of Europe Member States and may play a crucial role in preventing irreversible harm.