The story so far: The International Criminal Police Organisation, more commonly known as Interpol, comprising 194 member countries, plays a crucial role as an information-sharing network to enable national police forces to combat transnational crimes. Concerns have been raised about the misuse of Interpol’s notice system, especially the issuance of blue corner notices, which are less scrutinised than their red corner notices. Critics argue that countries often exploit existing protocols to target political refugees and dissidents. While efforts have been made to address this, questions remain about striking the right balance between facilitating police cooperation and preventing misuse of this powerful tool.
What is a ‘blue corner’ notice?
One of Interpol’s main functions is to issue “notices” — alerts to member states for missing or wanted persons. Although states are not mandated to follow these notices, they often treat them as a warrant for someone’s arrest and extradition. There are seven types of notices — Red Notice, Yellow Notice, Blue Notice, Black Notice, Green Notice, Orange Notice, and Purple Notice. A special category of notices known as the “Interpol — United Nations Security Council Special Notice” is issued for entities and individuals who are the targets of UN Security Council Sanctions Committees.
A blue corner notice also known as an “enquiry notice” allows police forces in member states to share critical crime-related information such as obtaining a person’s criminal record, and location and, having his or her identity verified among others. For instance, in January 2020, Interpol issued a blue corner notice to help locate fugitive self-styled godman Nithyananda, weeks after the Gujarat Police sought the agency’s intervention for this.
How does it differ from a ‘red corner’ notice?
A red corner notice is issued by a member state to arrest a wanted criminal through extradition or any other similar lawful action. Such notices are issued against persons wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence based on an arrest warrant or a court decision. The country issuing the request need not be the home country of the fugitive, Interpol acts even on the request of a country where the alleged crime has been committed.
Watch | What is INTERPOL, and what are its various Notices?
While blue corner notices are issued prior to the filing of criminal charges, red corner notices generally follow criminal convictions. The concerned individual can be stopped and arrested while travelling through a member state. There will also be other detrimental consequences such as the closure of bank accounts. However, Interpol cannot compel law enforcement authorities in any country to arrest the subject of a red corner notice as the exercise of such powers is entirely discretionary.
In 2018, red corner notices were issued against fugitive billionaires Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in connection with the ₹ 13,578-crore Punjab National Bank scam. However, in October 2022, Interpol rejected a second request by India to issue such a notice against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, whom the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has listed as a “terrorist” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA). The agency said that India had failed to provide sufficient information to support its case and that his activities have a “clear political dimension” which cannot be the subject of a red corner notice according to its Constitution.
Is the notice system prone to misuse?
Although Interpol’s Constitution explicitly forbids any activities of a political character, activists have accused it of failing to enforce this rule. Much of this outrage is directed at Russia, which has repeatedly issued notices and diffusions for the arrest of Kremlin opponents. Bill Browder, a human rights activist who exposed corruption in Russian state-owned companies has been subjected to multiple red notice requests at President Vladimir Putin’s behest. According to the U.S. rights organisation Freedom House, Russia is responsible for 38% of all public red notices.
International human rights groups have also accused China, Iran, Turkey, and Tunisia, among others, of abusing the agency’s notice system for authoritarian ends.
In response to the mounting criticism, Interpol toughened the oversight of its red notice system. However, vulnerabilities still remain with the issuance of blue notices with experts flagging that such notices are less likely to be reviewed before publication. The agency’s data shows that blue notices have roughly doubled in number over the past decade.
But countries like Turkey argue that such restraint in the issuance of notices hampers police cooperation and that the West should not interfere with their internal affairs. In 2021, Turkey publicly criticised Interpol for refusing to publish 773 red notices against followers of Fethullah Gulen — an exiled religious leader who has been accused of plotting a coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016.
- The Interpol comprises 194 member countries that play a crucial role as an information-sharing network to enable national police forces to combat transnational crimes
- There are seven types of notices issued by Interpol — Red Notice, Yellow Notice, Blue Notice, Black Notice, Green Notice, Orange Notice, and Purple Notice
- Critics argue that countries often exploit existing protocols to target political refugees and dissidents
Published - February 23, 2024 08:30 am IST
