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Politically Motivated INTERPOL Notices

How Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution and the UAE refusal grounds apply where a case is political in character.

Last updated 15 October 2026. Statutes checked against the official text.

Dr Alaa Al Houshy
Speak to a lawyerDr Alaa Al HoushyCriminal defence, AK Criminal Lawyers

What does INTERPOL's rule say?

Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution forbids the Organization from any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character. A notice that breaches it is not published.

A diffusion of that character is not entered into INTERPOL's database.

How does the UAE law treat political offences?

Article 9(3) of Federal Law No. 39 of 2006 refuses extradition for a political offence or an offence connected with one. Article 9(5) refuses it where there are substantial grounds to believe the request aims to prosecute or punish on grounds of race, religion, nationality or political opinion.

Political offences do not include terrorism, war crimes, genocide or certain crimes against the State and its leaders.

What is the usual defence approach?

We show, with documents, the political context, the pattern of the requesting state's proceedings and why the charge is not an ordinary-law crime, then present it to the CCF and, if needed, to the UAE authorities.

These cases depend heavily on evidence and need early preparation.

What should I do first?

  1. Document the political context

    Public statements, past proceedings and the position of the person or group involved.

  2. Collect proof of how the charge arose

    Timing, the complainant, and any link to political activity or dissent.

  3. Identify the Article 3 argument

    We relate the facts to the Constitution's ban on political, military, religious and racial activity.

  4. Prepare for a parallel UAE process

    If extradition is requested, Article 9(3) and (5) of the UAE law are raised in the court.

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Frequently asked questions

Is a financial charge ever political?

It can be, where the charge is used to pursue a person for political reasons. Each case turns on its facts and documents.

Does it matter which country issued the notice?

Yes. The requesting country, the charge and its history all go into the assessment.

Related guides

Sources

Source: Federal Law No. 39 of 2006 (International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters), official English text on the UAE Legislation portal, checked 15 October 2026. The portal lists the law as active and last updated on 28 September 2023. The Arabic text prevails over translations. Source for INTERPOL statements: About Red Notices and About Notices on interpol.int, checked 15 October 2026. INTERPOL can change its rules, so confirm the current text before relying on it.

This page is general information, not legal advice.

If you or someone close to you is under investigation, speak to us early.

Call or message us at any hour. Tell us what has happened and where the case is. We will explain the next step.