The Cuban Regime's Weaponization of INTERPOL's Red Notices
Democratic Spaces. a Canadian human rights NGO that supports the sovereign right of every individual to engage in peaceful resistance against all forms of oppression in Cuba and elsewhere, strongly condemns the Cuban regime's distorted use of INTERPOL's Red Notice system. This manipulation aims to persecute, arrest, imprison, defame, restrict freedom of movement, and silence critics globally. We view this as a clear instance of transnational repression, a tactic systematically employed by authoritarian governments to suppress dissent beyond their borders, especially within diaspora and exile communities.
Transnational Repression is a tactic systematically employed by authoritarian governments to suppress dissent beyond their borders, especially within diaspora and exile communities.
Photos from left to right. For the fourth time, the Cuban regime in December 2022 prevented Omara Ruiz Urquiola from returning to the Island, an example of the systematic practice in Cuba of transnational repression against critics of the dictatorship. Bill Browder, a critic of autocrat Vladimir Putin and leading advocate of the Magnitsky sanctions, shows a copy of a Red Notice from May 30, 2018. He was arrested for several hours at the Adolfo Suárez-Madrid-Barajas Airport in Spain. [Right] Bill Browder in the back of a Spanish police car being taken to the police station under the Russian arrest warrant. In the third photo from right to left, Bill Browder announces his release after the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, advised Spanish authorities not to honor the Russian regime’s Red Notice. At that time (2018), Browder had been subjected to six Red Notices.
By Michael Lima, February 8, 2024.
On December 7, 2023, the Cuban regime announced the release of a 'National List of individuals and entities under criminal investigation and sought by Cuban authorities,' often referred to in official propaganda as a 'terrorism list.' This announcement was made through Resolution 19 of the Interior Ministry and published in the National Gazette. Subsequently, regime spokespersons said that the list had been shared with INTERPOL, which they indicated granted them authority to issue Interpol Red Notices against certain listed individuals. Initially, the list comprised 61 Cubans, including activists, YouTubers, and 19 organizations. This is a threat that goes beyond a specific list, as in the announcement, the Cuban regime voiced a threat that involved everyone who defends human rights and democracy in Cuba, as they hinted at future actions that would entail expanding the list to encompass activists from the global diaspora.
Throughout its more than six decades of authoritarian rule, the Cuban regime has systematically practiced transnational repression. This has involved tactics such as denying entry to Cuba for Cuban exiles openly critical of the system, along with engaging in threats. harassment, intimidation, digital attacks, and coercion against Cubans abroad and their relatives in Cuba. For instance, on May 14, 2021, coinciding with a significant increase in civil actions initiated by Cubans in the global diaspora in support of the movement of artists and activists who staged a protest outside the Ministry of Culture in Havana on November 25, 2020, followed by subsequent demonstrations, the regime threatened with sham trials in absentia for all Cubans in the global diaspora who "finance, convene, coordinate," or support what the regime labels as "subversive acts."
Now, the Cuban regime follows and adopts repressive methods employed by global autocrats like Vladimir Putin in Russia, who is the largest abuser of Red Notices for political purposes worldwide, accounting for 38% of them globally. Similar practices have also been observed in regimes in China, Turkey, (1) Tajikistan, (2) all of which have weaponized Red Notice systems for years to target their critics with political propositions.
Russia is the largest abuser of Red Notices for political purposes worldwide, accounting for 38% of them globally.
The synchrony of the Cuban regime’s actions with the government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, which, in December 2023 and January 2024, issued similar lists and red notices against human rights lawyers, journalists, and activists, ratifies how dictatorships learn from each other, exchange repressive methods, and operate in a a coordinated manner to undermine and corrupt international institutions to exploit them against democracy. This emphasizes the persistent pattern of authoritarian regimes exchanging repressive methods and collaborating globally to persecute critics, undermine democracy, and obstruct the exercise of fundamental human rights.
The synchrony of the Cuban regime’s actions with the government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, which in December 2023 and January 2024 issued similar lists and red notices against human rights lawyers, journalists and activists ratifies how dictatorships learn from each other, exchange repressive methods, and operate in a a coordinated manner to undermine and corrupt international institutions to exploit them against democracy.
It is important to highlight that the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) in Cuba, the entity responsible for issuing Resolution 19, serves as the primary repressive arm of the Cuban regime. It is tasked with surveilling, harassing, imprisoning, infiltrating opposition groups in Cuba and abroad, and even resorting to violence, including murder, against activists, journalists, critics, and members of civil society. One of MININT's repressive units, the Special National Brigade, referred to as the 'Black Berets,' played a significant role in the widespread repression and egregious human rights violations against peaceful protesters in Cuba on July 11, 2021. Consequently, the United States included the MININT's Black Berets as an entity on the list of targeted sanctions.
It is important to highlight that the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) in Cuba, the entity responsible for issuing Resolution 19, serves as the primary repressive arm of the cuban regime.
PHOTOS: The Black Berets of the Cuban Ministry of the Interior cracking down on peaceful, pro-democratic demonstrations on July 11, 2021, in Cuba.
Weaponizing the INTERPOL Red Notice or the electronic alert system, which notifies law enforcement agencies worldwide that a person is wanted for arrest in another country, for political purposes violates Article 3 of the organization. This article strictly forbids the organization from engaging in any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character.
Article 3 of INTREPOL’s constitution strictly forbids the organization from engaging in any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character.
The impact of a Red Notice on rights defenders can be damaging, as it has the potential to severely limit freedom of movement, lead to arrest, and, in the most severe cases, result in deportation to an authoritarian, non-Rule of Law country. Due to the fact that most Red Notices are not made public by Interpol (Of the approximately 62,000 Red Notices currently in circulation, about 55,000 are not public) , the person who is being sought may not be aware of it, putting them at risk, especially in non-Rule of Law countries. This might also be the case if a Red Notice is served to an activist in a country where the government collaborates with the Cuban regime and chooses to honor both the Red Notice and the arrest warrant issued by the Cuban regime. Furthermore, the consequences extend to hindering the ability to obtain a visa and apply for political asylum, especially in countries like the United States.
The impact of a Red Notice on rights defenders can be damaging, as it has the potential to severely limit freedom of movement, lead to arrest, and, in the most severe cases, result in deportation to an authoritarian, non-Rule of Law country.
Various human rights activists have experienced the repercussions of the weaponization of Red Notices by authoritarian regimes from Russia, Turkey, Iran and China. This includes individuals such as Bill Browder, a financier and critic of Kremlin corruption, and a prominent global advocate for the Magnitsky Sanctions; Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA basketball player and political activist; Yidiresi Aishan, an exiled Uyghur activist vocal against the Chinese government, and many others.
The practice of international institutions, including INTERPOL, the second-largest global organization after the United Nations, treating police forces from authoritarian regimes (such as Cuba, Russia, China, Turkey, and Venezuela) as equal to those of democratic nations and lending credibility to judicial systems that criminalize dissent, is detrimental to global democracy.
Treating police forces from authoritarian regimes (such as Cuba, Russia, China, Turkey, and Venezuela) as equal to those of democratic nations and lending credibility to judicial systems that criminalize dissent, is detrimental to global democracy.
The Cuban judicial system completely lacks independence, functioning under the influence of power elites and the Communist Party. It has faced international condemnation for its practice of criminalizing dissent, disregarding due process, and falsely accusing hundreds of thousands of activists and critics over several decades.
The Cuban judicial system completely lacks independence, functioning under the influence of power elites and the Communist Party.
Furthermore, the propaganda apparatus of the regime is well-known for systematically conducting character assassination campaigns against journalists, activists, and members of civil society who openly criticize its arbitrary policies. At various points in the recent history of the regime, derogatory labels have been used to collectively dehumanize Cubans based on their sexual orientation, religion, political views, and, for several decades, against anyone who chose to leave the country.
Given the regime's primary objective of eradicating all forms of dissent and organized opposition within Cuba and beyond, it lacks credibility in issuing Red Notices or arrest requests. The inherently political nature of its actions calls for a thorough examination, scrutiny, and potential sanctions by INTERPOL.
The Cuban regime's manipulation of the Interpol Red Notices system against Cubans in exile is intricately connected to the notable rise of Cuban activism within the global diaspora. It signifies a fear-driven reaction to the expanding exile community, spanning from North and South America to Europe. In these nations, growing numbers of Cubans are rallying against repression in Cuba and championing democracy, the rule of law, and inclusivity.
The Cuban regime's manipulation of the Interpol Red Notices system against Cubans in exile is intricately connected to the notable rise of Cuban activism within the global diaspora.
This international advocacy movement has been sparked by the unparalleled courage of hundreds of thousands of Cubans who, on July 11, 2021, took to the streets, dismantling decades of myths and propaganda propagated by the Cuban regime. Consequently, the regime now faces a profound credibility crisis in the eyes of the international community, particularly concerning its claimed widespread support among the Cuban people. Around the world, organizations and governments are holding the regime accountable for gross human rights violations, including persecution, violence, and mass arrests and imprisonments of Cubans who were predominantly involved in peaceful protests to assert their rights.
As a diversionary strategy, employing a tactic reminiscent of the Nazi principle 'the best defense is offense,' the Cuban regime distorts the purpose of the Red Notices system, utilizing it as a tool for transnational repression to forcibly silence critics. This highlights a troubling pattern of manipulating international mechanisms for political ends.
In Canada, Interpol Red Notices undergo thorough vetting by the RCMP. Past instances include the denial of extradition requests from politically charged countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China. Similarly, in the United States, national law prohibits arrests based solely on an INTERPOL Red Notice. Instead, it requires a valid extradition treaty, a legitimate request for provisional arrest, and a warrant from a U.S. District Court, initiated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the relevant jurisdiction. However, this practice is not universal, and numerous countries, particularly those aligned with authoritarian regimes, adhere to such notices.
As human rights defenders, we urge INTERPOL to swiftly implement effective measures preventing the manipulation of Red Notices as a tool for transnational repression by the Cuban regime and other authoritarian governments worldwide. The exploitation of INTERPOL's global policing cooperation for clear political purposes is unacceptable and undermines the credibility of legitimate international institutions. Current loopholes still allow authoritarian regimes to misuse these mechanisms for the arbitrary task of silencing, harassing, and violating the human rights of critics globally. We call on INTERPOL to abide by its own rules, suspending regimes that consistently abuse its mechanisms. Furthermore, we recommend the establishment of checks and balances to put a stop to the issuance of abusive Red Notices by authoritarian regimes, such as Cuba's, that disregard the rule of law.
As human rights defenders we urge INTERPOL to swiftly implement effective measures preventing the manipulation of Red Notices as a tool for transnational repression by the Cuban regime and other authoritarian governments worldwide.
Michael Lima is a human rights activist and an expert in Cuban and Latin American history and politics. He has lectured on modern Latin American history, holds a Master’s Degree/Ph.D. candidacy in Latin American History from the University of Toronto, and is the founder of Democratic Spaces, an NGO seeking solidarity in Canada with human rights defenders and civil society in Cuba.
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1- Turkey, following the failed military coup attempt of 15 July 2016, reportedly attempted to upload 60,000 names onto Interpol's notification system.
2- Tajikistan, a Central Asian authoritarian state that accounts for 0.12% of the world's population, had issued 2528 Red Notices by 2017—2.3% of the total in circulation at the time.
RECENT INITIATIVES AGAINST THE USE OF RED NOTICES FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES
Most likely in response to criticism from human rights activists and NGOs, INTERPOL has made changes to increase checks on Red Notices. It now screens all requests for Red Notices before issuing them. More than 10,000 Red Notices are issued every year.
For its abuse of the Red Notice system Russia has been placed under 'special measures,' as stated by INTERPOL Secretary General Juergen Stock in an interview with Reuters on November 28, 2023.
As of December 2023, according to Interpol Secretary General Juergen Stock, “approximately 2% to 3% of challenging Red Notices still slip through the cracks.” However, he pointed out that the majority of Red Notices predominantly focus on individuals involved in serious crimes such as murder, rape, and drug smuggling.
In 2021, Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) reintroduced the Transnational Repression Accountability and Prevention Act of 2021, or TRAP Act, in the United States Senate. The bill is intended to counter politically motivated abuse of INTERPOL by authoritarian regimes. The bill would promote reform within INTERPOL, improve the U.S. response to fraudulent use of INTERPOL mechanisms, and protect the U.S. justice system from Interpol abuse.