A British woman was overcome with tears in a phone call to Radha Stirling, an Interpol and Extradition expert who founded the organisations, Due Process International and IPEX (Interpol & Extradition) reform.
Stirling broke the good news she had been waiting for last week in an emotional call. The woman had been charged in Qatar for non-payment of a debt which had already been arranged and agreed upon through Qatar National Bank (QNB) and her former employer. She only came to learn of the Interpol Red Notice when she was arrested in Pisa, Italy.
Italian authorities informed her that the case stemmed from the financial dispute in Qatar, and that they were accustomed to Qatar misusing Interpol as an instrument for debt collection. Authorities deemed the Red Notice abusive and released her, but that action does not result in the removal of the warrant so she called on Stirling, who has been helping delete wrongful Interpol Red Notices since 2008.
In her submissions, Stirling told Interpol, “My client has already suffered detention and legal proceedings in Italy due to her Interpol listing. She has suffered significant emotional hardship, both on the job in Qatar due to bullying and harassment; as well as from her abrupt dismissal in breach of her employment contract. She has made every attempt to resolve her outstanding debt, for which her former employer is legally responsible, and had been informed by QNB representatives that it would be resolved without anything further required from her. Interpol is increasingly being abused by Gulf States such as Qatar and the UAE, even where they know the Notices will not ultimately stand; which is precisely what occurred in this case. Qatar applies minimal checks and balances when listing a party, which has left Interpol’s databases open to abuse by individuals and institutions”.
Commenting on the case, Stirling divulged “My client was extremely distressed after being arrested in Italy. Her life has been on hold and it has drastically affected her mental health, as well as her financial and employment situation. She had been desperate to travel for work and had no idea whether she would be arrested again or potentially even extradited.
“Banks in the Middle East have been using Interpol as a mechanism for debt collection for years, but the risk is especially heightened since Qatar’s large donations in 2018.
“Expats and tourists who have worked in or visited Qatar, must remain vigilant. Qatar’s abuse of Interpol has led to unprecedented arrests of innocent victims during their travels in Europe and further afield. Many of these victims have spent months in prisons while fighting extradition”.
If you suspect you may be at risk of an Interpol Red Notice, please contact us for confidential, expert advice.
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