World · 26 January 2026
Leaked Data Shows Russia Abusing Interpol to Target Critics
Photo by Jayde Keroi on Unsplash
A data leak has revealed Russia's alleged abuse of Interpol to target critics abroad. Russia is accused of using Interpol's wanted lists to request the arrest of political opponents, businessmen, and journalists. Complaints against Russia's requests to Interpol have been more frequent and overturned more than any other country. While Interpol implemented stricter measures after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, these were reportedly dropped in 2025. Interpol maintains it has systems in place to prevent misuse.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs