HomeINTERPOL Notices & Diffusions: Verify and Protect Your Rights
Being the subject of Interpol red notices and diffusions can drastically change your life. Issued at the request of Interpol member countries, these high-level alerts facilitate international cooperation in criminal justice. However, interpol diffusions and colour-coded notices are often misused or based on inaccurate information, leading to travel restrictions, reputational damage, and wrongful arrests.
These risks are heightened with Interpol diffusions as they are quicker and less scrutinized than other notices, making them more susceptible to abuse. Individuals wanted often discover their existence after being detained or denied a visa. The good news is that individuals can request access to Interpol files through the Commission for the Control of Files and demand corrections or seek deletion.
With experienced legal counsel, you can navigate this complex process, prepare a strong deletion case, and restore your freedom. Our Interpol lawyers verify whether your name is in INTERPOL’s system, analyze the grounds for the alert, and take decisive legal action to protect your rights.
What are INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions?
Interpol is an International police organization that facilitates the cooperation of national authorities in 196 member countries. This global organization is dedicated to combating serious cross-border crimes, using notices and diffusions to share information. However, Interpol diffusions and notices differ in terms of legal status, procedures, and consequences for requested individuals.
Notices are official international alerts issued by the requesting member country through the INTERPOL General Secretariat in Lyon, France. Each notice has its own color code indicating its purpose. These alerts aren’t international arrest warrants, but some countries consider them sufficient for temporary detention and the initiation of extradition proceedings.
Before issuing a notice, the General Secretariat verifies its compliance with INTERPOL’s Constitution and internal rules, including the prohibition of using notices for political, racial, religious, or military persecution. Diffusions, on the other hand, are unofficial requests sent by one country to another via INTERPOL’s secure I-24/7 communication system. The main difference is that diffusions are limited to one or more countries unlike red notices.
Features of diffusions:
- Do not require prior verification by the General Secretariat – sent directly and quickly.
- Can be sent at any time, even without a court order or at the investigation stage.
- Often leads to detention at border crossings, even without legal grounds for extradition.
Diffusions are high-risk due to a lack of transparency and the speed of dissemination. The targeted individual may not know they are on the list until detained at an airport.
Whether a notice or a diffusion, both can have serious consequences. That includes detention at the border, initiation of extradition proceedings, asset and bank account freezes, denial of visas or residence, and reputational damage. At the same time, diffusions are harder to challenge due to the absence of prior verification, but it is still possible to file an application with the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF).
What Types of INTERPOL Notices Exist?
INTERPOL Notices use color codes for different purposes—from searching for suspects to warning of potential threats:
Types of INTERPOL Notices
Red Notice
The most well-known and serious notice for locating, detaining, and extraditing a wanted person to the requesting country. Not a formal international warrant, but sufficient for detention in some countries.
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Blue Notice
Used to seek information on the location, identity, or collect additional information about a person connected to a criminal activity. Not for arrest, but aids in tracking.
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Black Notice
For identifying unidentified bodies in member states, includes information such as appearance, DNA, fingerprints, clothing, or found items.
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Yellow Notice
For locating missing persons, especially children and vulnerable individuals unable to identify themselves. Used for criminal and humanitarian purposes.
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Orange Notice
Warning about possible threats to public safety, such as explosives, poisons, and dangerous items. May also identify suspects or new criminal methods.
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Purple Notice
Sharing information about concealment methods, tools, or strategies of criminals, including cybercrime, forged documents, smuggling, and prohibited technologies.
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Green Notice
Alerts about an individual or a person’s criminal activities posing potential public safety threats, e.g., after early release, deportation, or migration, to warn and monitor.
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UNSC Special Notice
Issued jointly with the UN Security Council for individuals or organizations under sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans.
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What is the Difference Between a Diffusion and a Red Notice?
| Criteria | Red Notice | Diffusion |
|---|---|---|
| Submission | Through the General Secretariat | Directly between countries via I-24/7 |
| Verification | Verified under INTERPOL rules | No verification |
| Legal basis | Requires an arrest warrant | Can be issued at the investigation stage |
| Publicity | May be published on INTERPOL’s website | Not published |
| Grounds for detention | Yes | Yes |
| Possibility of appeal | Through CCF | Through CCF, but more difficult |
In practice, arrests abroad most often occur due to a Diffusion signal rather than an Interpol Red Notice, and the accused often does not know about the international case against them. Since a Diffusion does not appear in the public database and has no automatic notification, it may even be used to bypass INTERPOL procedures, including cases where a Red Notice was previously rejected.
Our team has experience advising and handling cases related to INTERPOL notices and signals, including checking for the existence of any notices or signals, legal analysis of their grounds, preparing and submitting petitions to the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF), and providing defense in cases of arrest, extradition, and travel restrictions.
Unlike Red Notices, which sometimes appear on INTERPOL’s official website, Diffusions are not published in any public database, since they are internal communications between law enforcement agencies, with the following characteristics:
- Sent directly from one state to another via the closed I-24/7 network.
- Do not require prior legal review.
- No direct notification to the targeted individual.
This means you won’t be aware of a Diffusion until you are arrested or face travel restrictions, unless preventive legal measures are taken. While it’s impossible to gain direct access to Diffusion information without state involvement, there are indirect and official ways to check. Frequent detentions at airports, extra questioning at borders, or unexplained entry refusals may indicate the presence of a Diffusion or other INTERPOL alert.
You can officially submit a petition through a lawyer to the CCF to find out whether your information is in INTERPOL’s system, request a copy of the data (if any), and file an objection or deletion request. Such a petition must follow strict procedures, like identity verification, legal grounds, and document translation. We recommend consulting an experienced lawyer.
In some cases, you can file a petition through the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL in your home country via a lawyer to learn whether there is a request for arrest or surveillance from other countries. However, many states do not disclose this information to third parties, citing the confidentiality of international data exchange.
What to Do if You Are the Target of a Diffusion?
If you know or suspect you are the target of a Diffusion, act quickly to reduce risks and protect your rights. Avoid crossing borders or traveling abroad if there is suspicion of an international warrant, as you may be detained at airport immigration control. Countries that have received a Diffusion may immediately begin extradition proceedings.
If arrested by local police authorities abroad, defending your rights becomes more difficult. Even if you are certain of your innocence, you should only act within the law. However, Interpol diffusions are difficult to detect without qualified legal assistance.
A lawyer will help file an information request through your country’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau, prepare a petition to the CCF, formulate legal positions, explanations, and evidence of unlawful surveillance. Your lawyer will also develop a legal strategy in case of arrest and request the judicial authorities to suspend extradition proceedings.
During the filing of the official petition, a lawyer can help collect evidence supporting your innocence, such as:
- Copies of court rulings, orders, or warrants (if any).
- Proof of your whereabouts at the time of the accusations.
- Communications with state or private bodies involved in the case (if any).
- Evidence of political motivation, if relevant, such as news, social media, or organizational membership.
- Any documents showing abuse of INTERPOL’s system, for example, prior rejection of notices.
A lawyer uses this data to prepare a convincing legal argument for submission to INTERPOL’s Commission (CCF).
How to File a Petition to Remove a Notice or Diffusion
The CCF (Commission for the Control of Files) is an independent oversight body within INTERPOL. The Commission considers petitions from individuals who believe their data was entered into INTERPOL’s databases unlawfully or without a basis. The CCF reviews the following:
- Requests for access to data stored in INTERPOL’s system.
- Complaints about Notices or Diffusions violating human rights or INTERPOL’s rules.
- Requests to delete, correct, or restrict the dissemination of such data.
Filing a petition with the CCF is the only legal way in INTERPOL’s system to request the removal of a notice or diffusion. A petition must be written in one of INTERPOL’s official languages and include:
- A copy of the applicant’s identity document.
- A brief, clear, and precise description of the situation.
- Justification of why the notice or diffusion violates INTERPOL rules.
- Evidence, such as documents, court rulings, refugee status, certificates, news, testimonies, file or notice number, or at least the country and date of arrest or check.
The petition must be legally correct and structured; otherwise, the Commission may reject it on formal grounds.
The review process takes 6 to 12 months, depending on case complexity, the number of countries involved, the response speed of INTERPOL offices, and the completeness of evidence provided. In some cases, temporary restrictions on data dissemination can be requested during review (e.g., temporary removal from border or police systems).
A lawyer experienced in international law and INTERPOL cases will help build arguments according to CCF rules, professionally prepare and file the petition, track deadlines and case progress, and prepare additional documents if needed.
Legal Assistance: Who Works with INTERPOL Notices
Working with INTERPOL mechanisms requires specialized knowledge of international law and understanding its regulations, petition filing procedures with the CCF, and the ability to gather and present legal evidence. It also requires experience in liaising with National Central Bureaus (NCBs), law enforcement authorities in different countries, and even the International Criminal Court.
Errors in drafting the petition, lack of evidence, or delays in filing may lead to rejection and retention of data in INTERPOL’s database for many years. Our legal team specializes in protecting clients targeted by INTERPOL notices and Diffusion signals. We provide a full range of services:
- Checking for the presence of Notices or Diffusions through legal mechanisms, preparing petitions to the CCF with legal arguments and evidence.
- Advising and supporting during detentions, extradition requests, or entry refusals.
- Representing clients before national and international authorities.
- Advising on the protection of assets, business, and reputation if the notice has affected financial standing.
If you suspect that your data is entered into INTERPOL’s system or are facing the consequences of this system, contact us immediately.
