Thousands of files provided by a whistleblower at Interpol expose for the first time the extent of Russia's apparent abuse of the international policing agency to target its critics abroad.
The data provided to the BBC World Service and French investigative outlet, Disclose, reveals that Russia is using Interpol's wanted lists to request the arrest of people such as political opponents, businessmen and journalists, claiming that they have committed crimes.
Analysis of data also suggests that over the past decade, Interpol's own independent complaints unit has received more complaints about Russia than anyone else - three times more than the next highest country, Turkey.
In addition, it indicates complaints against Moscow'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 any potential misuse of Interpol's channels in relation to the targeting of individuals within or beyond the conflict in Ukraine.
But the leaked documents suggest these did not prevent Russia abusing the system and the whistleblower told us some stricter measures were quietly dropped in 2025.
In response, Interpol says that every year, thousands of the world's most serious criminals are arrested thanks to its operations. It has systems in place to prevent misuse, which have seen improvements in recent years.
The whistleblower’s leaks are disturbing for victims like Igor Pestrikov, a businessman who fled Russia and found himself named on a wanted list after applying for asylum. His life drastically changed due to being hit with a red notice. It's constant nerves, all the time, he reveals, highlighting the distress and threat to safety faced by those caught in Russia's legal crosshairs.
The leaked documents illuminate a concerning pattern where Russia continually utilizes Interpol's services, even attempting to track down individuals like journalist Armen Aramyan using more informal channels after official requests were denied.
Experts note that the frequency at which Russia's requests are overturned raises serious questions about Interpol's measures against misuse. Legal practitioners recommend significant reforms, warning that as long as such vulnerabilities exist, individuals worldwide remain at risk of unwarranted persecution at the behest of rogue state actions.
