On September 17, 2024, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) held an event at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, focused on the misuse of INTERPOL tools by authoritarian governments and the implications for human rights. ADHRB has been researching INTERPOL since 2016 and remains convinced that reforms to prevent such abuses are insufficient. The event coincided with a report highlighting how autocratic governments in the Middle East exert extraterritorial jurisdiction to violate human rights, especially through .
The panel began with moderator Yusuf Al-Hoori, a Bahraini activist and ADHRB contributor, who provided an overview of INTERPOL’s role in combating serious crimes. He emphasized how authoritarian regimes, particularly in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, have abused INTERPOL tools to target political dissidents and human rights defenders. Despite efforts to address these concerns with new safeguards, Al-Hoori stressed that these measures have proven inadequate.
The first speaker, Dr. Giulio Calcara, a Lecturer in Law at the University of Plymouth, provided a detailed explanation of INTERPOL’s legal framework, particularly Article 3 of its Constitution, which prohibits actions of a political, military, religious, or racial nature. He also delved into the problematic legal effects of red notices, highlighting issues such as the misuse of red notices by authoritarian governments and the challenges of verifying the integrity of information exchanged between countries. Calcara warned of the serious consequences for individuals wrongly listed, such as repeated arrests, inability to rent property or secure employment, and other human rights violations.
Khalid Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Gulf Center for Human Rights, discussed the impact of INTERPOL’s system on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, drawing attention to human rights violations in the Arab Peninsula. He shared examples, such as the UAE 94 case, where activists were targeted for expressing political dissent and subsequently pursued through INTERPOL. Ibrahim also raised concerns about the election of former UAE Inspector General Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi as INTERPOL president – who has previously been implicated in allegations of torture – questioning whether the organization was committed to implementing stronger human rights protections.
The final speaker, Alessio Manto, an advocacy fellow at ADHRB, presented the findings of a recent study conducted by the organization. The study, which invited 98 human rights activists from the MENA region to participate, found that nearly half had been secretly listed in INTERPOL’s database through diffusions—a less regulated and more covert tool than red notices. Manto warned of the potential for widespread misuse and offered several recommendations to reform the system.
During the Q&A session, an audience member asked what could be done to address these issues. Manto responded by encouraging further research into INTERPOL abuses by authoritarian countries, suggesting that other NGOs conduct similar studies and collaborate to push for reform at the UN or EU level.
The event concluded with Al-Hoori thanking the audience and panelists for their engagement and reaffirming ADHRB’s commitment to combating human rights violations linked to INTERPOL’s misuse.
