Rhys Davies and Ben Keith write for City A.M.

Rhys Davies of Temple Garden Chambers and Ben Keith of 5 St Andrew’s Hill have co-authored an article for City A.M., warning of the Kremlin’s abuse of INTERPOL Red Notices to silence political opponents beyond Russia’s borders.

The article explores how authoritarian regimes continue to exploit INTERPOL systems to pursue dissidents, exiled critics, and human rights defenders under the guise of legitimate law enforcement. Despite reforms, Red Notices remain open to manipulation, leading to wrongful arrests, blocked asylum claims, and international harassment.

Last week, Rhys and Ben gave evidence to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, which is currently conducting an inquiry into transnational repression. In their evidence, they highlighted how foreign governments - including Russia - are misusing INTERPOL to target individuals abroad and called for the UK to lead international efforts to prevent such abuse.

Ben and Rhys specialise in international human rights law and have acted in numerous high-profile INTERPOL cases. In 2021, they co-authored Undue Influence: The UAE and INTERPOL, a landmark report exposing political interference in INTERPOL’s leadership elections. Their work has been featured by CBS 60 Minutes and Sky News' Dirty Work podcasts.

The article was first published on 27 March 2025 in City A.M. and can be accessed here.

Image: Tim Mossholder