Interpol: How to Submit a Request for Information?

At our request, the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) will check whether there is an entry (international arrest warrant or other alerts) against you in the Interpol Information System (IIS). If this is the case, the Commission will evaluate whether this entry needs to be corrected or deleted based on the information provided by us. If such an evaluation requires further information, the Commission will send us a request to that effect, which we will bring to your attention. If the Commission decides that the entry needs to be updated or deleted, it will contact the General Secretariat (IPSG), which will carry this out.

The functions and competences of the individual organs of the organisation, i.e. also those of the CCF, are determined by the Statutes and General Regulations of Interpol. The Statute gives the Commission, as an independent body under Article 36, exclusive competence to deal with requests of this kind. Given the relevance and sensitivity of this task, it is fundamental that the Commission can carry out the tasks assigned to it free from external influence. It is also under an obligation to keep all information confidential.

The request for information must be submitted in writing to the CCF in one of the recognised languages (Arabic, English, French or Spanish). The CCF then checks the admissibility of each request and informs the applicant within one month whether the request is admissible.

It is essential that all the required information in the questionnaire is answered in full and that a copy of the identity card is also provided. The reason for the request must be plausibly explained. If the application is declared inadmissible, the CCF will explain the grounds to the applicant and, as a rule, grant the opportunity to submit missing documents and information. If the application is admissible, the CCF will check whether the data on the application can be found in the Interpol system. If data on the application is available and if the request for information, correction or deletion has been submitted, the compliance of the request with the Interpol regulations is checked. If it is determined that an entry exists, the applicant will be informed of this.

The CCF prohibits providing information about an existing international arrest warrant with Interpol in certain exceptional cases. These include the following cases:

1. To protect public or national security or to prevent crime,
2. to protect the confidentiality of investigations or prosecutions,
3. to protect the rights and freedoms of the applicant or a third party.

To find out whether there is an entry against you and what exactly it contains, the Commission takes about four months to process it. You should expect at least nine months for an update or deletion of an international arrest warrant or another alert. We will keep you informed of any developments. Send us your request, and we will initiate the process promptly.

If you would like to instruct us to assist you with the cancellation of an international arrest warrant or similar, you should send us the following documents:

• Power of attorney,
• description of the situation,
• all relevant documents and information,
• a copy of your passport or identity card.

Please describe in detail why you think there might be an entry against you. We will evaluate this information, translate it and forward it to the Interpol Data Protection Control Commission (CCF). Also, include any documents and records that may be relevant at this point. We will sift through and analyse this information, translate it and can then make an information request to Interpol to find out whether an international arrest warrant or other alerts (notice) exists. If there is an incorrect entry, we ask Interpol to update or delete it.