INTERPOL’s Principle of Political Neutrality (Article 3)

One of the most critical rules forming the backbone of INTERPOL’s operating system is the principle of political neutrality. This principle, set out in Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, provides that INTERPOL may not become involved in any intervention or activity of a political, military, religious or racial character. It therefore ensures that the organisation deals only with offences that are genuinely criminal in nature. On this page, we explain the scope and application of Article 3 and how it functions as a protective mechanism against politically motivated misuse, in a clear and accessible framework.

INTERPOL’s Principle of Political Neutrality (Article 3)

One of INTERPOL’s fundamental principles is the principle of political neutrality. This principle is expressly set out in Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution: “It is strictly forbidden for the Organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.” This provision requires the organisation to deal only with ordinary criminal offences and to remain completely outside requests driven by political or ideological motives. In this way, INTERPOL supports only objective criminal investigations, without becoming a party to member states’ internal political conflicts, religious or ethnic tensions, or military disputes.

Article 3 is not merely an ethical principle; it is a binding legal limit. For this reason, Red Notice or diffusion requests based on politically motivated accusations are considered to fall outside INTERPOL’s mandate. In particular, where accusations such as “terrorism,” “offences against the state” or “membership of an organisation” are in reality based on political opposition or activities falling within the scope of freedom of expression, INTERPOL rejects such requests or withdraws them if they have already been published. This is of vital importance in preventing individuals from being unfairly searched for at the international level and in preventing extradition procedures from being misused for political purposes.

The body responsible for supervising the application of this principle is the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF). When examining a file upon request, the CCF assesses whether the data are compatible with Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution. If the accusations underlying the notice are based on political, military, religious or racial motives, or if they violate the right to a fair trial, the Commission may decide to delete or correct the data. In this way, Article 3 functions not merely as a declaration, but as an effective human rights protection mechanism, safeguarding the neutrality and reliability of the INTERPOL system at the international level.