It's a system which is meant to enable police forces to flag their most wanted persons at international borders around the world. But, for some, Interpol's red notices have had devastating consequences - they're detained, imprisoned, and extradited, after being wrongly targeted. Sahar Zand investigates the red notice system - and gets a rare chance to speak to the organisation's Secretary General. Regular people, dissidents and Interpol insiders explain how bad actors have been able - in some cases - to hijack the system to capture people beyond their borders.
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It's a system which is meant to enable police forces to flag their most wanted persons at international borders around the world. But, for some, Interpol's red notices have had devastating consequences - they're detained, imprisoned, and extradited, after being wrongly targeted. Sahar Zand investigates the red notice system - and gets a rare chance to speak to the organisation's Secretary General. Regular people, dissidents and Interpol insiders explain how bad actors have been able - in some cases - to hijack the system to capture people beyond their borders.
Warning: This episode contains descriptions of torture
In our final episode, Sahar Zand tells the story of Jessica, who spent six years in US detention because of a "bogus" Interpol red notice issued after she was harassed by a police officer in her home country, El Salvador.
The US has specific legislation to prevent Interpol being used for transnational repression, but immigration authorities appear to ignore guidance not to arrest someone solely because of a red notice.
There's a closer look at the president of Interpol, Major General Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi - a senior police officer in the UAE - who human rights lawyers say is one of the biggest offenders of Interpol abuse.
And to round off the series, UK security minister Tom Tugendhat explains his appetite for governance changes.
In episode two of the series, the Interpol secretary general Jurgen Stock spoke to Dirty Work about the red notice system.
He said: "I think it is a very robust system, and it is a very successful system first and foremost because it helps almost every day around the world to catch dangerous fugitives, murderers, rapists, those who are exploiting children, drug traffickers."
When asked about people ending up with a notice who shouldn't, he said it is "a small number of cases, but of course, very often significant cases that end up in the media and where we say, yes, this notice should not have been published".
Presenter: Sahar Zand Producer: Heidi Pett Senior producer: Sarah Burke Sound designer: James Bradshaw Editor: Paul Stanworth
Dirty Work
It's a system which is meant to enable police forces to flag their most wanted persons at international borders around the world. But, for some, Interpol's red notices have had devastating consequences - they're detained, imprisoned, and extradited, after being wrongly targeted. Sahar Zand investigates the red notice system - and gets a rare chance to speak to the organisation's Secretary General. Regular people, dissidents and Interpol insiders explain how bad actors have been able - in some cases - to hijack the system to capture people beyond their borders.
