Interpol is examining tens of thousands of wanted person notices submitted by member countries to determine if they are politically motivated, according to a confidential memo obtained Friday by The Associated Press.
Several recent cases, including the detention of a Turkish-German writer in Spain at Turkey's behest, have raised concerns about possible misuse of so-called "Red Notices" that the international police agency distributes on behalf of its members to further arrests of fugitives.
The confidential memo compiled by European security officials detailed a Nov. 20 meeting between European Union diplomats and Interpol representatives, who said they were examining up to 40,000 Red Notices, AP reported.
Interpol declined to confirm the number of wanted person notices under review, but said in a statement that new procedures were put in place last year to prevent the communiques from being issued to persecute dissidents, the report said.
According to AP, the agency said the new measures included the creation of a task force charged with examining if wanted person alerts should be maintained or cancelled. Individuals who think they were improperly targeted ice can contact Interpol and request a review, and all Red Notices are re-examined every five years, the agency said.
