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.
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 from abusing the system, and the whistleblower told us some stricter measures were quietly dropped in 2025.
In response, Interpol states it is aware of the potential impact requests for arrest can have on individuals and emphasizes that each year, thousands of serious criminals are arrested thanks to its operations.
Businessman Igor Pestrikov, whose name appears in the leaked files, found himself on the wanted list after fleeing Russia and applying for asylum in France.
Pestrikov highlighted the psychological strain of living with a red notice, describing a constant state of anxiety and the challenges it posed to his daily life.
The whistleblower's disclosures also detailed how Russia communicated informally with law enforcement in other countries to circumvent Interpol's process regarding red notices, revealing a concerning level of operational abuse.
Despite ongoing concerns expressed by senior Interpol officials about Russia's activities, the agency's reports show that a significant percentage of Russia's requests were still passing initial scrutiny, indicating a need for urgent reform within Interpol's systems to safeguard against misuse.
