Transnational Repression and Red Notices: Reflections from the Frontline Club

On Tuesday, 30 September 2025, International Human Rights Advisors hosted a discussion on transnational repression and journalism at London’s Frontline Club, examining how authoritarian regimes increasingly target journalists, dissidents, and activists beyond their own borders. The panel was chaired by Rhys Davies and featured Ben Keith alongside two well-respected journalists who have confronted this threat first-hand: Catherine Philp, Chief Diplomatic Correspondent at The Times, and Sahar Zand, an award-winning investigative journalist and filmmaker whose work spans the BBC, Channel 4, and Vice.

The timing of this event follows the publication of the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ July 2025 report on transnational repression. It has become undeniable that authoritarian regimes are operating with alarming impunity on UK soil, using sophisticated tools to surveil, threaten, and silence critical voices. Transnational repression – the coordinated targeting of journalists, dissidents, and activists by authoritarian states beyond their borders – is not an abstract concern. It is happening here, now, and with increasing frequency.

Catherine Philp’s experience illustrated the direct impact of transnational repression on British journalists. After reporting from inside Russian-occupied Kursk territory in 2024, Catherine was banned from Russia for life and now faces the threat of criminal prosecution with potential Interpol Red Notices sought against her. Her experience illustrates how governments weaponise international systems to punish journalism that exposes uncomfortable truths. Catherine’s reflections on the silence from Western governments in the face of such blatant press freedom violations underscored the urgent need for institutional reform and political will.

Sahar Zand contributed insights drawn from her investigative work, particularly her Sky News podcast series “Dirty Work,” which explored the political abuse of Interpol’s systems. Sahar’s reporting has documented how Iranian, Chinese, and other authoritarian regimes systematically intimidate journalists and activists living in exile through threats, digital surveillance, and coercion of family members. Her work on Interpol Red Notices, for which she won the Best Investigation category at the 2024 Freelance Journalism Awards, has exposed how these mechanisms have become transnational tools of fear and censorship.

As leading Red Notice lawyers, Ben and Rhys were able to provide the legal context for understanding how these international policing mechanisms have been corrupted. The discussion explored how Red Notices, intended as a means for legitimate international police cooperation, have increasingly become weapons in the arsenal of transnational repression. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant, but rather a request from one of Interpol’s member countries seeking the location and potential arrest of a particular individual. However, in practice, Red Notices often result in detention, travel restrictions, and extradition proceedings—making them devastatingly effective tools for authoritarian regimes seeking to extend their reach beyond their borders.

The misuse of Interpol’s systems represents a particularly insidious form of transnational repression because it coopts legitimate international law enforcement infrastructure, lending an air of legitimacy to what are often politically motivated persecutions. For individuals facing politically motivated Red Notices, understanding how to delete a Red Notice or challenge its validity becomes critical. Authoritarian states exploit these mechanisms alongside extradition requests, diplomatic pressure, and financial blacklists to pursue exiled journalists and dissidents. As Red Notice lawyers with extensive experience in this field, we regularly assist clients targeted by such abuses. Earlier this year, both Ben and Rhys gave evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on precisely these issues, arguing that the UK’s current legal framework not only lacks adequate safeguards but can actively compound the repression that targeted individuals face.

Our discussion at the Frontline Club made clear that transnational repression is not a passing phenomenon – it is a growing threat that demands sustained attention, institutional reform, and international coordination. As regimes become more sophisticated in their targeting of critics abroad, the need for vigilance has never been greater. The UK must strengthen its legal protections, ensure that Interpol’s systems cannot be abused for political purposes, and stand firmly in defence of press freedom and human rights defenders.

For journalists, activists, and anyone who finds themselves targeted by transnational repression, specialised legal representation is essential. Whether you need advice on how to remove a Red Notice, require representation before the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF), or are facing extradition proceedings linked to politically motivated allegations, experienced Interpol lawyers and Red Notice attorneys can make the difference between freedom and detention.

For more information about challenging politically motivated Red Notices, understanding your options to delete a Red Notice, or for expert legal advice on transnational repression from leading Red Notice lawyers, find more information here or contact us.

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