Peters & Peters has secured the deletion of all data relating to two Russian clients from INTERPOL’s systems.

Our clients are the subject of politically motivated criminal proceedings in the Russian Federation, as a result of which the Russian authorities issued a diffusion for their arrest and extradition. Anticipating that the Russian authorities would take such steps, we made pre-emptive representations to INTERPOL identifying the grounds upon which inclusion of any notice or diffusion would be in breach of INTERPOL’s rules and procedures.  As a result, when the Russian authorities issued the diffusion on INTERPOL’s system, it was blocked by INTERPOL, pending its further enquiries and our further representations.

Our detailed submissions to INTERPOL, to the effect that there was no proper basis to support the diffusion and that there had been flagrant and repeated breaches of our clients’ fundamental rights, were successful. Resulting in INTERPOL deleting the diffusion and all other data held by INTERPOL in respect of our clients. It has also confirmed the same to all INTERPOL NCBs.

Senior Partner Michael O’Kane and Partner Maria Cronin acted on this case.