How could INTERPOL shield itself from being used as a political weapon against a corrupt country’s own people? In the last post, I referenced an article by CNN writer Libby Lewis entitled, “Are some countries abusing Interpol?” In the article, Lewis raises numerous questions, one of which is whether a more in-depth review process
Red Notice Challenges
Blind Faith: INTERPOL’s Relationship with Its Member Countries
In a continuation of the issue of INTERPOL’s seemingly blind trust in the representations of its member countries, today’s post concerns the application process of member countries requesting Red Notices from INTERPOL. And this just in . . . an article by Libby Lewis, sponsored by the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists, wherein the…
Elaboration on the Innocent Red Notice Client
By Michelle Estlund on
Earlier this month, I wrote here about INTERPOL’s role and the fact that INTERPOL is not concerned with guilt or innocence. Instead, INTERPOL is concerned with assisting member countries with the return of fugitives to the proper authorities so that the rule of law may be carried out properly. This is still true, but a…
Who Has Access to INTERPOL’s Files?
By Michelle Estlund on
In the last post, I addressed the issue of ownership of INTERPOL’s files. A question that is at least as significant to attorneys with clients who have Red Notices issued against them is, who may access that information?
Wanted persons sometimes seek access to that information for a variety of reasons. Very often, they seek…
You’re Not the Boss of Me: How INTERPOL Got to Keep Its Headquarters in France, Without Being Governed by French Law (and Why Red Notice Subjects Have Access to Their Files)
By Michelle Estlund on
Posted in INTERPOL's Infrastructure, Red Notice Challenges
As INTERPOL has developed over time, it has experienced the growing pains that normally attend any large and relatively complex entity, and also some that are more specific to its own, unusual functions. In his book that I love, The Legal Foundations of INTERPOL, Rutsel Silvestre J. Martha touched on one of these developments:…
Venezuela complained, INTERPOL responded: what’s next?
Back in February, I discussed the fact that Venezuela’s Attorney General, Luisa Ortega Díaz, complained about what she painted as INTERPOL’s unfair treatment of Venezuela’s request for Red Notices against a certain group of people. Specifically, she argued that Venezuela’s requests for Red Notices were being denied for people charged with crimes related to the…
Red Notice Challenges: When the Basis for a Red Notice is No Longer Valid
By Michelle Estlund on
Posted in Red Notice Challenges
One of the means by which to challenge an INTERPOL Red Notice is to provide evidence that the document underlying the Notice is no longer valid. A recent example of such a challenge occurred when the Red Notice for Senator Panfilo Lacson of the Philippines was withdrawn. Senator Lacson had been the subject of…
My client is the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice- now what?
By Michelle Estlund on
Posted in Red Notice Challenges
When the phone call comes that a client may be, or is, the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice, an attorney’s immediate response may be to start thinking about an extradition hearing. That’s good, but it’s not always enough.
A client can greatly benefit from the attorney’s investigation into whether INTERPOL does, in fact, possess any…