What is a Red Notice?
A Red Notice is published by the INTERPOL General Secretariat at the request of a National Central Bureau or an authorised international entity. It asks law-enforcement authorities worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.
It is not an international arrest warrant. Each member country determines what action, if any, may be taken under its domestic law.
What is a diffusion?
A diffusion is information circulated through INTERPOL channels directly by a National Central Bureau or authorised international entity to selected countries or more broadly. It can pursue purposes comparable to a notice, including locating and provisionally arresting a wanted person.
The direct circulation route does not place a diffusion outside INTERPOL’s legal framework. Personal data sent through INTERPOL channels remain subject to the Organisation’s applicable rules.
The practical differences
- Route: a Red Notice is submitted for publication by the General Secretariat; a diffusion is circulated directly by its source through INTERPOL channels.
- Recipients: a notice is made available through the notice system; a diffusion can be addressed to selected recipients.
- Public visibility: selected Red Notice extracts may be published online, while there is no complete public register of diffusions.
- Identification: correspondence from police, courts or immigration authorities may use imprecise language, so the actual record should be verified.
Does one create a greater arrest risk?
The label alone does not answer the question. Domestic law, the underlying arrest warrant, the requesting state, extradition arrangements and national alerts all affect the response. A diffusion may create an immediate operational risk even though it does not appear on the public Red Notice page.
For travel or detention advice, local counsel must assess the law of the relevant country. A challenge to INTERPOL data is a separate part of the strategy.
Can a diffusion be challenged before the CCF?
The CCF examines requests concerning personal data processed in the INTERPOL Information System. An applicant may request access and, where grounds exist, correction or deletion. The application should identify the suspected mechanism but should not be drafted so narrowly that relevant personal data under another label are overlooked.
The analysis may address accuracy, purpose, proportionality, the factual basis, human rights and neutrality under Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution. The CCF does not retry the criminal case or decide extradition.
What documents matter?
A useful initial record normally includes the accusation, arrest decision, extradition materials, procedural chronology and decisions affecting the validity or current status of the domestic case. In commercial or family disputes, contracts, civil judgments and competing jurisdictional decisions may help explain the true context.
Related guidance: how to request access to INTERPOL data, Red Notice removal and travel with a Red Notice.
Official references: INTERPOL Notices ↗ · Rules on the Processing of Data (PDF) ↗
Terminology used in a national document may not identify the actual INTERPOL record. This page provides general information only.