How to Remove an INTERPOL Red Notice

Our Law Firm Assists Individuals With Seeking Removal of INTERPOL Red Notices

If you are the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice, you are at risk of facing criminal proceedings in one or more INTERPOL member countries or before an international tribunal. As a result, if you are eligible to have your Red Notice removed, you should do so promptly. Our lawyers can help.

Attorney Nick OberheidenInternational Litigation Team Lead

INTERPOL alerts related to Red Notices can lead to arrests worldwide. Additionally if a country requests extradition of an individual who is the subject of a Red Notice, this can lead to prosecution in the requesting country or before an international tribunal. Law enforcement officers with local police authorities and national police forces can make arrests based on records in the INTERPOL information system; and, depending on where you are facing prosecution, it isn’t necessarily guaranteed that you will receive a fair trial.

All of these factors make it critical to seek removal of your INTERPOL Red Notice if you are eligible to do so.

Our lawyers serve as legal counsel for individuals who need to seek Red Notice removal. If you are able to get your Red Notice removed from the INTERPOL database, this will have a significant impact on all aspects of your life. Even if you are still a wanted person, getting your Red Notice removed can provide significant protection, and it can help set the stage for resolving any pending or potential criminal inquiries without unnecessary consequences.

We Assist Individuals Who Are Wanted for Alleged Crimes in the United States and Worldwide

Our lawyers assist individuals who are wanted for alleged crimes in the United States and worldwide. INTERPOL is not a law enforcement agency, and its General Secretariat cannot pursue international criminal charges. However, INTERPOL’s General Secretariat has the authority to issue Red Notices, and INTERPOL member countries use Red Notices to pursue prosecution of suspects and targets who reside or have traveled abroad.

Each member country prosecutes cases under its own laws. If you are eligible, we can help you seek removal of you Red Notice if you are wanted for alleged crimes including:

Fraud and financial crimes
Human rights violations
Organized crime
Violent crimes
Other types of alleged criminal activity

We represent clients who are wanted for alleged offences originating in the United States and other countries, including clients who are facing international police cooperation and scrutiny from international criminal police organizations. When necessary, we can provide legal representation for prosecutions by local and national legal authorities and judicial authorities as well.

What Our INTERPOL Lawyers Can Do to Help

If you are interested in submitting a Red Notice request for removal, our lawyers can assist you—and we can get to work immediately if warranted. Here is a brief overview of what our lawyers can do to help in this scenario:

1. Requesting and Reviewing INTERPOL’s Files

We can request and review INTERPOL’s files to determine if you have grounds to seek removal. This includes determining whether you are subject to a Red Notice related to a “serious ordinary-law crime.” INTERPOL’s constitution only allows red notices to be issued related to serious ordinary-law crimes—not political crimes, offenses related to homosexual acts, and other banned offenses. If the alleged offense raises “controversial” issues related to behavioral or cultural norms and does not qualify as a serious crime, this is one example of a potential ground to seek removal of an INTERPOL Red Notice.

2. Determining Your Legal Grounds for Seeking Red Notice Removal

After reviewing INTERPOL’s files and gathering information through other means (including the National Central Bureau (NCB) of relevant member countries and other relevant national authorities), our lawyers can determine your legal grounds for requesting Red Notice removal. Examples of grounds for such requests include:

Alleged offenses deriving from private disputes
Alleged offenses related to behavioral or cultural norms
Alleged violations of an administrative nature
An invalid arrest warrant or judicial decision
Lack of conformity with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Politically motivated prosecutions
Procedural irregularities

All Red notices must comply with INTERPOL’s constitution and rules. If yours does not and you have grounds to seek removal of your Red Notice, you should not be at risk of facing international alerts or have to worry that police officers will provisionally arrest you as a person pending extradition. Our lawyers can assert all available legal arguments on your behalf through the appropriate INTERPOL channels, and we will rely on our experience to seek to have your Red Notice removed from INTERPOL’s system.

3. Gathering Evidence of Your Grounds for Removal

If we determine that you have legal grounds for removal, our next step will be to gather the evidence we need to pursue your case (including personal information and court records, among other necessary documentation). We will work quickly at this stage, we may continue to gather evidence after filing your request for removal with the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF).

4. Prosecuting Your Request for Removal with INTERPOL’s CCF

Challenging an INTERPOL Red Notice involves submitting a request for removal to the CCF. Requests for removal of Red Notices must typically be submitted in either English or French. CCF reviews all requests for Red Notice removals and there are no means to appeal an unfavorable decision by the CCF—so it is critical to ensure that you effectively pursue removal by all means available.

5. Dealing with National and Local Authorities As Necessary

Along with handling your request for removal with the CCD, we can also deal with national and local authorities as necessary. For example, as noted above, a Red Notice requires a valid arrest warrant or judicial decision. If the arrest warrant or judicial decision underlying your Red Notice is invalid, you should be able to have your INTERPOL notice removed. While it may be difficult to obtain documents from the requesting country during the request for removal process, we are prepared to do what is necessary to protect you.

FAQs: INTERPOL Red Notice Removal

Is an INTERPOL Red Notice the same thing as an international arrest warrant?

No, an INTERPOL Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. As INTERPOL explains, a Red Notice is, “a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.”

How long does it take to get an INTERPOL notice removed?

The process of seeking to have an INTERPOL notice removed typically takes in the range of four to nine months, though it can take longer in some cases. Our lawyers will do everything they can to expedite your request and obtain a decision from the CCF as soon as possible.

A Red Notice is generally valid for five years—so if your INTERPOL notice is set to expire in less than four months, you might be as well off waiting for your expiration date to arrive. With that said, if you need immediate protection, you can request provisional measures from the CCF to temporarily block your Red Notice. Our lawyers can help you make an informed decision about what to do based on your individual circumstances.

If I get my INTERPOL notice removed, will I still be at risk of being arrested by local or national law enforcement authorities?

Getting an INTERPOL notice removed does not provide complete protection from facing arrest and prosecution. As a result, if you are at risk of facing prosecution, you will still need to be careful even if you successfully have your Red Notice removed. Here too, our lawyers can guide you forward, and we can provide legal representation for any criminal proceedings you may be facing as well.

How do I determine if I have an INTERPOL Red Notice or diffusion?

If you are not sure whether you have an INTERPOL Red Notice or a diffusion, our lawyers can review INTERPOL’s records to determine your current status. Along with handling Red Notice removal requests, we handle matters involving INTERPOL diffusions as well.

How can I find lawyers who are legal experts in INTERPOL’s rules and seeking Red Notice removal?

At Oberheiden P.C., our lawyers rely on extensive experience to help clients seek Red Notice removal. We have an outstanding track record representing clients in high-stakes international criminal matters; and, whether you are currently residing in your home country or you are staying abroad, we can provide the representation you need. When necessary, we can engage local lawyers to assist with protecting your interests as well.

Contact Us to Speak with an Attorney Experienced in INTERPOL Cases Today

If you have questions about seeking removal of your Red Notice, we strongly encourage you to get in touch. Once you do, we will arrange for you to speak with one of our experienced attorneys in confidence as soon as possible. To schedule a confidential consultation at Oberheiden P.C., call us at 888-680-1745 or tell us how we can reach you online today.

Related Pages:

INTERPOL Defense

Federal Agency International Enforcement

Defense for US Citizens Abroad

Crisis Response & Family Resources