HomeRed Notice Issued Years After Maritime Dispute
A client was added to INTERPOL’s Red Notice list years after being unknowingly implicated in a maritime dispute, prompting legal action to challenge the outdated notice.
Case Overview
A client approached us after learning that he had been added to INTERPOL’s Red Notice list in connection with a yacht rental incident that occurred four years earlier. At the time, the client had joined two acquaintances on a rented vessel. After several days at sea, he disembarked and returned to Belarus, unaware of any legal consequences.
Unbeknownst to him, one of the remaining individuals continued using the yacht without returning it, leading to a legal dispute. While the other party was eventually detained and released after clarification, the client was only implicated years later and found himself under international search by INTERPOL.
The client maintained that he had no criminal intent and had left the situation well before any legal issues arose. His inclusion on the Red Notice list came as a shock and was severely impacting his ability to travel and conduct business abroad.
Legal Strategy: Contesting Delayed and Disproportionate Red Notices
Our first objective was to establish a clear legal timeline that demonstrated the client’s early and lawful departure from the incident in question. The fact that he had not been contacted for several years, and that the primary suspect had been released, raised serious concerns about the necessity and proportionality of the Red Notice.
Under the leadership of Dmytro Konovalenko, we compiled travel records, payment documentation, and media reports to support the client’s account. A detailed submission was then presented to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF), requesting the deletion of the notice on the grounds of outdated relevance and disproportionate impact.
As the case had evolved without his knowledge and with no summons or prosecution attempts during the four-year gap, we also cited violations of INTERPOL’s own data integrity standards and procedural fairness, invoking the rules governing Interpol Red Notices.
Result
The case has been accepted for formal review by the CCF. Meanwhile, interim legal statements have been issued to the client for travel purposes, reducing his exposure to further detentions. With clear evidence of non-involvement, early exit from the event, and lack of criminal intent, the client now stands on strong legal ground to seek full removal from INTERPOL’s database.
