Mikhail Khodorkovsky

I spent 10 years in Putin's prisons. In 2025, I was labeled a 'terrorist' for opposing  the war. 

🧵Now leaked Interpol files prove what I've long understood: the Kremlin has weaponized international policing into a worldwide dragnet for those who oppose Putin. [1/14]

Over the past decade, Russia has generated three times more complaints to Interpol's oversight body than any other country. More Russian cases have been overturned than those of any other nation.

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Here's how it works: Russia accuses someone of vague financial crimes, files for a Red Notice, and suddenly that person can't rent an apartment, open a bank account, or travel without risking arrest.

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Igor Pestrikov, a Russian businessman who refused to supply materials for Putin's war machine, describes it as living "like a cornered rat." 

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He spent two years unable to rent a home or access his money while his family hid in another country, until Interpol ruled that Russia's evidence was "general and boilerplate" and canceled the request.

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After the full-scale invasion, Interpol announced additional scrutiny of Moscow's requests. The internal reports, however, tell a different story. In 2024, roughly 90% of Russian requests still passed initial screening. 

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When challenged, half of these ended up rejected—but only after victims fought back. It's something the average dissident or journalist cannot afford, because it requires hiring expensive lawyers and the ability to survive financially when your life is put on hold.

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The abuse goes beyond Red Notices. Leaked messages show Russia using Interpol's communication system to track down critics informally, bypassing the official process entirely.

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When Interpol rejected a Red Notice for journalist Armen Aramyan, Moscow simply messaged Armenia and Germany directly, requesting "any useful information" about his whereabouts.

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He was charged with "involving minors in illegal activities"— in reality,  for reporting on student protests in support of Navalny. 

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Russia even tried to issue Red Notices against judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.

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Those requests were rejected—but the fact they were submitted at all reveals how brazen Moscow has become. Despite this, last year, as I and others have been freshly labeled terrorists for opposing the war,  Interpol quietly rolled back some of the enhanced restrictions on

The whistleblower confirmed this, though the full extent remains unclear. Interpol refuses to comment on it, citing "strict data handling rules." Internally, even senior leadership admits there's a problem. 

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"If countries are found to significantly and consistently abuse Red Notices, they should be temporarily suspended from the system," says British attorney Ben Keith. 

Without consequences, the abuse will continue. 

 

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The Kremlin’s reach doesn’t stop at its borders. 

Follow for more analysis of how that reach is enforced.