Interpol, the world’s largest international police organization, is facing renewed scrutiny after an investigative report revealed that repressive governments have systematically abused its Red Notice system to pursue political opponents, journalists, and critics living abroad. The findings, published this week by French investigative outlet Disclose in collaboration with the BBC, raise serious concerns about how an organization designed to facilitate cross-border crime fighting has been transformed into a tool of political repression.

The investigation, titled The Interpol Files, is based on a leaked cache of thousands of internal Interpol documents. These records shed light on how some of Interpol’s 196 member states have exploited Red Notices-requests circulated to law enforcement agencies worldwide seeking the provisional arrest of individuals-to harass, intimidate, or detain critics under the guise of criminal charges.

Interpol Red Notices are among the organization’s most powerful mechanisms. While not international arrest warrants, they function as alerts that notify police forces globally that an individual is wanted by a member state, typically for extradition. In practice, Red Notices can severely restrict a person’s freedom of movement, lead to detention at borders, freezing of bank accounts, and long-term reputational damage-even if the underlying charges are politically motivated or legally questionable.

Interpol’s constitution explicitly prohibits the organization from engaging in matters of a political, military, religious, or racial character. However, the Disclose and BBC investigation suggests that this safeguard is frequently circumvented by authoritarian states that reframe political persecution as ordinary criminal prosecution.

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