Russia's Use of Interpol's Wanted List: A Targeting of Critics Abroad
By Cate Brown, Max Hudson, and Julia Luft
BBC Eye Investigations
A recent leak of thousands of files from Interpol has revealed the extent of Russia's apparent abuse of the international policing agency to target its critics abroad. The data, provided by a whistleblower, exposes how Russia is using Interpol's wanted lists to request the arrest of individuals, including political opponents, businessmen, and journalists, on the basis of alleged crimes.
The analysis of the data suggests that over the past decade, Interpol's independent complaints unit has received more complaints about Russia than any other country, with three times more complaints than the next highest country, Turkey. Additionally, complaints against Russia's requests have led to more cases being overturned than for any other country.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Interpol introduced extra checks on Moscow's activity to prevent potential misuse of its channels. However, the leaked documents suggest that these measures did not prevent Russia from continuing to abuse the system. The whistleblower informed us that stricter measures were quietly dropped in 2025.
In response, Interpol claims that it arrests thousands of serious criminals worldwide each year and has implemented systems to avoid misuse, which have been strengthened in recent years. They also acknowledge the potential impact of arrest requests on individuals.
One such individual is Igor Pestrikov, a Russian businessman whose name appears in the leaked files. Pestrikov explains that being hit with a red notice can completely change one's life, leading to stress, nerves, and constant fear of being arrested. He shares his experience of being named in a red diffusion after fleeing Russia and seeking asylum in France, which resulted in his bank accounts being blocked and his inability to rent an apartment.
The leak also exposes Russia's misuse of Interpol to request the arrest of critics, including Pestrikov, who was a major shareholder in large metals companies in Russia. He claims that government ministers pressured him to stop selling his products abroad and only supply the Russian market, fearing they could be used for military components. Pestrikov's refusal to comply and his Ukrainian wife's status led to his companies being nationalized and him being investigated for financial crimes.
Pestrikov challenged the red diffusion request through Interpol's internal watchdog, the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF), arguing that it was politically motivated. The CCF ruled that his case was predominantly political, stating that Russia's information was generic and formulaic, and there was an inadequate explanation of the alleged crime. As a result, Interpol canceled the request for Pestrikov's detention.
The leaked documents reveal a pattern of abuse, with at least 700 people wanted by Russia complaining to the CCF in the past decade, and at least 400 of their cases being overturned. This highlights the scale of the problem and the need for better transparency.
The BBC also gained access to internal Interpol reports from 2024 and 2025, which show ongoing concerns about Russia's activities from senior directors within the organization. Despite extra restrictions, approximately 90% of Russia's requests were still passing initial checks in 2024, and the CCF was overturning roughly half of all Russian requests. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the measures in place.
The reports also indicate discussions about removing additional restrictions on Russian activity, which seems to have been settled in Moscow's favor. The whistleblower informed the BBC that Interpol quietly dropped some extra measures against Russia in 2025, although the extent of this softening is unclear.
Interpol's response to the investigation includes concerns about misunderstandings of their systems and factual errors. They emphasize their commitment to preventing abuse and ensuring open lines of communication. However, lawyers Yuriy Nemets and Ben Keith agree that Interpol should do more to prevent misuse, suggesting suspension of countries that persistently abuse the system.
The leak also reveals a less formal route to tracing people abroad, with messages exchanged between individual countries via Interpol's messaging system. This highlights the complexity of the issue and the need for further scrutiny and transparency.
