Russia using Interpol's wanted list to target critics abroad, leak reveals

15 days ago

Russia is accused of abusing Interpol's wanted lists to target political opponents, businessmen, and journalists abroad.
Leaked documents reveal that Interpol's complaints unit has received more complaints about Russia than any other country over the past decade.
Despite extra checks introduced after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russia continued to misuse Interpol's systems.
Interpol's internal watchdog, the CCF, has overturned more Russian requests than those from any other country.
Russian businessman Igor Pestrikov's case highlights the personal impact of being listed on Interpol's wanted list.
Interpol's lack of transparency makes it difficult to assess the full scale of the problem.
Messages between countries via Interpol's system reveal informal routes to trace individuals, bypassing formal processes.
Internal Interpol reports show ongoing concerns about Russia's misuse of the system, yet discussions about lifting restrictions on Russia were underway.
Lawyers argue that Interpol should suspend countries found to be persistently abusing its systems.

Hasty Briefsbeta