Russia accuses of abusing Interpol to target critics abroad. A whistle‑blower inside the international police agency revealed thousands of dossiers showing that Moscow has used Interpol red notices to pursue political opponents, businessmen and journalists, often on vague or fabricated charges. The data, supplied to BBC World Service and French investigators, shows that Interpol’s complaints unit received more allegations against Russia than any other country - three times the number against Turkey - and that many Russian requests were rejected. After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Interpol added extra checks to guard against misuse, but the documents suggest Moscow still exploited the system, with some stricter measures quietly abandoned in 2025. One victim, businessman Igor Pestrikov, fled to France in 2022 after refusing to sell his magnesium plant to the state. A red notice was issued against him; he contested it through Interpol’s independent review body, which found the case to be mainly political and cancelled the arrest request. The story highlights ongoing abuse of a global policing tool by the Kremlin amid the Ukraine war.

Original article can be found here.