What a Blue Notice is for
Under Article 88 of INTERPOL’s Rules on the Processing of Data, a Blue Notice may seek to obtain information about, locate or identify a person of interest in a criminal investigation. The subject may be convicted, charged or suspected, but may also be a witness or victim.
The requesting country must provide sufficient data concerning the investigation or the person for the requested cooperation to be effective, together with sufficient identifiers.
Official reference: Rules on the Processing of Data, Article 88 (PDF) ↗
A Blue Notice is not a Red Notice
A Blue Notice does not itself request provisional arrest and does not establish that an arrest warrant exists. It can be used during an earlier investigative stage when authorities seek a person’s identity, location, movements or other investigation-related information.
A later request for a Red Notice is not automatic. It requires its own legal and factual basis and must satisfy the separate conditions applicable to Red Notices.
What a legal review may examine
A review may consider whether there is a genuine connection to a criminal investigation, whether the subject falls within Article 88, whether sufficient investigation data and identifiers were provided, and whether the processing remains accurate, relevant and proportionate.
As with other INTERPOL data, the review may also address the organisation’s neutrality and fundamental-rights requirements. The underlying national file is important where it shows that the stated criminal purpose does not reflect the true nature of the matter.
Can the subject find out who issued it?
A person may ask the CCF whether INTERPOL processes personal data concerning them and request access to information that may be disclosed. The CCF consults the source before disclosure, so neither confirmation of the notice nor identification of the source is guaranteed.
Where information is disclosed or the known record already supports a challenge, the applicant may seek correction or deletion. Requests are made through the CCF’s secure online portal.
What I can do
I can analyse the Russian investigation, prepare the factual chronology and identify the issues relevant to an access, correction or deletion request. Where a risk of escalation exists, the CCF strategy should be coordinated with local advice on travel, immigration, interviews or other domestic measures.
Related guidance: CCF deletion requests and Red Notice removal.
A Blue Notice does not automatically mean that a person is wanted for arrest. Its practical effect depends on the data, the purpose of the request and national law.