The documentary Red Notices: The Hidden Face of Interpol (Notices rouges : la face cachée d’Interpol) (2025), directed by Jean-Christophe Brisard and a co-production of Les Beaux Docs / 13PRODS / LCP–Assemblée nationale, examines how INTERPOL’s Red Notice system can be diverted from its intended purpose of international police cooperation into a tool of political repression.
The film gives voice to victims of abusive Red Notices, dissidents, human rights defenders, and businesspeople, whose lives have been disrupted by politically motivated charges. Their stories reveal how a mechanism designed to support cross-border justice can instead be misused to silence opposition.
Charlie Magri was invited to contribute as a legal practitioner specializing in INTERPOL cases. In the film, he highlights the structural vulnerabilities of the system:
“No matter what, the system can always be abused. As long as Interpol is not a court — and it should not become one — it cannot verify the evidence behind national arrest warrants.”
He also addresses the consequences faced by individuals once detained:
“If someone has already been arrested on the basis of a Red Notice, deleting the notice will not secure their release.”
This reflects the reality that national authorities, not INTERPOL, ultimately decide the fate of individuals deprived of liberty.
Finally, he raises the question of accountability:
“Of course, someone detained on the basis of an unjust Red Notice should be compensated. In theory, yes. In practice, I am not sure this is possible without threatening INTERPOL’s very existence.”
Red Notices: The Hidden Face of Interpol (Notices rouges : la face cachée d’Interpol) highlights the paradox of an organization that is both indispensable and vulnerable. With 196 member countries, INTERPOL remains essential to global police cooperation, but its credibility depends on robust safeguards and strict adherence to its Constitution, especially Article 3’s prohibition on political activities.
The documentary was broadcast on LCP on Tuesday 10 February 2026.
It is available on the LCP YouTube channel.
On-demand access is available via LCP.fr, france.tv (available until 03/07/2028), and TF1+ (available until 26/03/2026).
