Politically motivated notices and Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution

Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution expressly forbids the organisation from involvement in matters of a political, military, religious or racial character. It is a key protection for those whose prosecution stems not from a real crime but from political motives.

If a case is shown to fall under Article 3, INTERPOL must refuse to process the data or delete a notice already published.

A political character is proven by a combination: the context of the prosecution, the person's public and civic activity, the timeline of the case, reports by human-rights organisations and international bodies, and signs of selective justice.

What matters is not an emotional assessment but a structured file with verifiable sources — that is what the CCF reviews.

The Commission for the Control of Files is an independent body that reviews complaints about breaches of INTERPOL's rules, including breaches of Article 3. It can recommend deletion of data, and that recommendation is implemented.

The procedure is written and adversarial: the applicant's position must anticipate the requesting country's arguments and rely on the Constitution and the Commission's precedents.

The strategy centres on proving a political motive and procedural violations. Article 3 is often combined with other grounds: inaccurate data, expired time limits, lack of dual criminality.

A conscientious specialist does not promise a guaranteed result but builds a position that makes full use of the Constitution's protections.