What a Red Notice means
A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action. It is based on an arrest warrant or court order issued by the requesting country. It is not an international arrest warrant, and each country determines its legal effect under domestic law.
Only some extracts are published on INTERPOL’s public website. The absence of a public result does not establish that no notice or diffusion exists.
Official reference: INTERPOL — Red Notices ↗
What may support removal
The Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) reviews whether data processing complies with INTERPOL’s Constitution and rules. A request must be built around the facts of the individual case rather than a generic objection to the prosecution.
Potential issues may include the private or predominantly commercial origin of the dispute, political or other prohibited character, incompatibility with fundamental rights, insufficient or inaccurate case data, lack of proportionality, material procedural developments, or a failure to satisfy the specific requirements for Red Notices under Article 83 of the Rules on the Processing of Data.
The CCF does not retry the criminal case or decide extradition. Domestic court materials matter insofar as they demonstrate why the continued processing of the data may be non-compliant.
Evidence and documents
A useful initial record commonly includes the arrest decision, charge or indictment, a procedural chronology, relevant judgments, evidence concerning the true nature of the dispute and documents showing later developments such as dismissal, limitation, withdrawal or cancellation of national measures.
Where the allegation concerns business activity, contracts, payments, corporate records and civil or arbitral decisions may be necessary to distinguish a private dispute from an ordinary-law crime. Documents should be organised around propositions that the CCF can assess, with translations where required.
Requesting deletion through the CCF
The application may seek access to data and, where justified, their correction or deletion. From 26 March 2026, requests are submitted through the CCF’s secure online portal. The procedure is primarily written; oral hearings are exceptional.
The Commission may request information from the applicant, the source of the data, the General Secretariat or other relevant entities. Disclosure is subject to consultation with the source and may be restricted.
Official reference: How to submit a CCF request ↗
After a deletion decision
If challenged data are found non-compliant, INTERPOL implements the CCF’s decision within its own system. This does not automatically cancel a national arrest warrant, end the underlying criminal case or determine a person’s position under national databases.
Local counsel should therefore assess the effect of deletion in each relevant country. The INTERPOL strategy and the extradition, immigration or travel strategy should remain coordinated.
Related guidance: CCF deletion requests and extradition defence involving Russian cases.
General information only. A Red Notice challenge does not guarantee deletion or unrestricted travel. Local arrest, immigration and extradition questions require advice from counsel qualified in the relevant country.