Interpol, Extradition & International Warrants
An Interpol Red Notice does not mean automatic arrest — but in the UAE, it can mean detention at the airport, a travel ban, and the start of extradition proceedings within hours. We advise and defend individuals and businesses facing international warrants, Interpol notices, and extradition requests — and we step in before the legal position hardens.
International warrant in the UAE: how the system works
Interpol does not arrest and does not extradite, it transmits information. The decision to detain and extradite is made by UAE courts and authorities based on federal legislation. Behind this stands a specific legal process — and it can be challenged.
Extradition is possible only if three conditions are met: the act is a crime in both countries, the punishment exceeds the established minimum, and the procedure meets legal standards. The request passes through the Ministry of Justice and the court. The decision is subject to appeal.
We get involved before the arrest and before a formal request, while the outcome of the case can still be changed. We challenge detentions, object to extradition, and seek the removal of notifications through the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF).
Why this is important in the UAE
The UAE has entered into extradition treaties with more than 50 countries and actively participates in international criminal cooperation. A Red Notice from any Interpol member country is visible to border services and can lead to detention upon entry.
At the same time, the UAE adheres to its own procedural standards. Extradition may be refused if the act is not a crime under local law, there is a risk of political persecution or torture, the person has already been convicted or acquitted for the same act, or the request does not meet legal requirements.
None of these grounds apply automatically. Each must be argued, confirmed documentarily, and presented before the court. A defence strategy must be built from day one — before the investigation forms its own version of events.
Red Notice: what it is
A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement agencies in other countries to provisionally arrest a person pending an extradition decision. It is not an international arrest warrant. In the UAE, it does not entail automatic legal consequences; the extradition decision is still made by a court.
In practice, this means your name is flagged at every border point. Upon entering the UAE, there is detention at the airport and a travel ban during the proceedings. Time works against you: the longer the challenge is delayed, the harder it is to change the situation.
The notice can be challenged directly at Interpol through the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) if it violates the organisation's rules, was filed for political, military, religious, or racial reasons, or if the charges do not meet established standards.
We assess the legality of the notice, prepare an application to the CCF if grounds exist, and simultaneously build a defence in the UAE courts.
What we advise on
- Assessment of Red, Blue, Silver, Green, and Yellow Notices and their legal effect in the UAE
- Preparation of submissions to the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) for deletion or correction of a Notice
- Preventive applications to Interpol where a Notice is anticipated
- Representation before UAE courts and prosecutors in proceedings arising from an Interpol notice
- Analysis of the extradition request: dual criminality, sentence threshold, procedural compliance, and treaty applicability
- Identification and documentation of grounds for refusal: political persecution, human rights risks, double jeopardy, absence of dual criminality
- Representation at Ministry of Justice review and before the competent court
- Challenging pre-trial detention and seeking release pending proceedings
- Appealing extradition decisions
- Negotiating alternatives: transfer of proceedings to the UAE, terms of voluntary return
- Coordinating extradition defence with parallel civil, corporate, or asset recovery proceedings
Typical matters
- A client is detained at Dubai airport on arrival — a Red Notice is flagged by border control following charges of large-scale fraud in another jurisdiction
- An extradition request has been submitted by a country with which the UAE has a bilateral treaty — the charges are commercially motivated and the legal basis is disputed
- A Red Notice has been issued by a country with a record of using Interpol mechanisms for political purposes — the charges relate to business activity, not criminal conduct
- A corporate dispute has escalated into an international criminal complaint, resulting in a Notice that restricts the individual's movement and banking access
- A client anticipates a Notice before it has been issued and seeks preventive legal action through Interpol's CCF mechanism
Calm strategy. Precise execution.
- Engage before the arrest — we advise from the moment a Notice appears or an extradition request is anticipated, not after detention has occurred
- Separate the legal from the political — we evaluate whether the charges reflect a real criminal act or are an instrument of commercial, corporate, or political pressure
- Challenge at the source — if the Interpol notice violates the organisation's procedural rules, we seek its removal through the Commission for the Control of Files in parallel with judicial procedures in the UAE
- Build a position for refusal of extradition — we fix every applicable ground: lack of dual criminality, political risk, threat to human rights, inadmissibility of double punishment
- Coordinate parallel proceedings — criminal defence is built in conjunction with civil, commercial cases, and asset recovery procedures to exclude contradictions in positions
Connected areas of expertise
High-stakes matters rarely sit inside a single legal box. The strongest strategy usually comes from seeing the whole conflict map.
International warrants and extradition require immediate action.
Reach out directly to a senior lawyer. In extradition matters, the earlier we are involved, the more options remain available. All enquiries are handled in strict confidence.
What matters before the first consultation
What is an Interpol Red Notice and how does it differ from extradition?+
A Red Notice is an international alert circulated by Interpol on request of a member country, seeking provisional arrest pending an extradition request. It is not, by itself, an arrest warrant. Extradition is a separate, treaty-based process by which one state formally surrenders a person to another. A Red Notice can lead to detention at a border (including UAE airports); whether extradition follows depends on the bilateral treaty, dual criminality, and political/human-rights review.
Can a Red Notice be removed from Interpol's records?+
Yes — through a challenge filed with the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF), Interpol's independent review body. Grounds include: violation of Article 3 (prohibition on political/military/religious/racial cases), insufficient procedural basis in the requesting country, expired charges, abuse of Interpol channels for commercial pressure, or human-rights concerns. The CCF process is documentary and language-sensitive — early-stage drafting determines outcome.
How does the CCF appeals process work?+
An applicant (or counsel) files a written request with documentary support, in one of Interpol's official languages. The CCF acknowledges, conducts internal review with the National Central Bureau that issued the notice, and renders a decision — typically within 9 months, sometimes longer. Decisions can be: deletion, modification (e.g. clarification on dual-criminality basis), or rejection. Repeat applications are possible if new evidence or legal developments arise.
Does the UAE have an extradition treaty with Russia?+
A bilateral extradition treaty between Russia and the UAE was signed in 2014 and entered into force following ratification. The treaty governs the formal procedure for requests, dual-criminality, refusal grounds (nationality, political character, statute of limitations) and human-rights safeguards. In practice, treaty cases proceed through the UAE Ministry of Justice and the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, with court review at multiple stages. Specific case outcomes depend heavily on early evidentiary work and the framing of refusal grounds.
Can a person on a Red Notice safely transit through the UAE?+
No. The UAE actively cooperates with Interpol; a Red Notice triggers a system flag on entry. Detention at Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah airports has occurred even during short transits. The right approach for anyone aware of a Red Notice is to assess the underlying risk before any travel through the UAE — and where possible, to challenge the notice via the CCF in advance.
What is the typical timeline of a CCF challenge?+
Roughly: initial filing (1-2 weeks of preparation), CCF acknowledgement (within 30 days), internal review (3-6 months), decision (typically 6-9 months from filing). Urgent cases — where detention has occurred or extradition request is imminent — can be escalated, but the substantive review still requires complete documentation. We routinely build the dossier in parallel with any UAE court proceedings so both tracks advance simultaneously.
