This major CARICOM forum on reparations follows the adoption of the landmark United Nations Resolution A/RES/80/250 on 25 March 2026, which declared the trafficking and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity.

CARICOM Secretariat | Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana | Wednesday, 2 September 2026:      The CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC), Government of Barbados and the CARICOM Secretariat will host the Third CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations under the theme “Reparatory Justice as the Coming Enlightenment” from 17-19 September 2026. The three-day activity will take place at the Wyndham Grand Sam Lord’s Castle, Saint Philip, Barbados. This major CARICOM forum on reparations follows the adoption of the landmark United Nations Resolution A/RES/80/250 on 25 March 2026, which declared the trafficking and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as “the gravest crime against humanity.” Focus The Conference will provide practical guidance on implementing the revised CARICOM Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice: A Manifesto for the Coming Enlightenment, while highlighting new perspectives in reparatory justice emerging from African and Caribbean political discourse. It will amplify public dialogue on the revised Ten-Point Plan and assess global progress in the reparations movement, particularly in the context of the 25th Anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, and the African Union Decade for Reparatory Justice. In addition, the Conference will strengthen collaboration among CARICOM, the African Union, civil society, and the global African diaspora. It aims to invigorate political, diplomatic, and community participation in the regional and international movement for reparatory justice, ensuring that the momentum for change is sustained and broadened. Expected Outcomes The overarching objective of the Conference is to re-energise CARICOM’s advocacy through the CRC and deepen solidarity between Africa and its diaspora. A key outcome will be the adoption of a 2027–2031 Action Plan for Reparatory Justice, which will set measurable targets for joint action with partner organisations across the global African community. Participants Barbados Prime Minister, Honourable Mia Amor Mottley; CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett; and CRC Chair, Sir Hilary Beckles, will address the opening ceremony.  Highlights will include a high-level session featuring CARICOM Heads of Government, members of the CARICOM Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Reparations, and representatives of the African Union. The Conference will bring together CARICOM Ministers responsible for reparatory justice, National Reparations Commissions and Committees, Associate Members and the United Nations. Global reparations activists from the USA, Canada, UK, EU, and Latin America will also participate, alongside scholars, civil-society leaders, cultural figures, and youth delegates. Further details and registration are available on the official Conference website. Editor’s Notes The First CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations was hosted by St. Vincent and the Grenadines in September 2013, marking the launch of the CARICOM Reparations Commission. That event featured the drafting of the Commission’s Terms of Reference and a major opening ceremony headlined by the late Hon. Bunny Wailer, OJ, who was received as patron of the regional reparations movement. The Second CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations was held in Antigua and Barbuda in September 2014, presenting a series of expert panels on a wide range of issues in the reparations discourse, aligned with the CARICOM Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice. The Most Hon. PJ Patterson delivered the keynote address at the opening and contributed to the discussions alongside other regional and international experts. The Commission has also organised several important symposia and conferences since 2014. These included “Western Banking, Colonialism and Reparations” held in Antigua and Barbuda in October 2019; the virtual symposium “Sir William Arthur Lewis: Founder of Reparations for Caribbean Development” in June 2020; and the CRC Tenth Anniversary Symposium “Reparations and Royalty, Africa and Europe: Exploding Myths and Empowering Truths” held in Jamaica in March 2023. Helpful Links: Third CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations https://caricomreparationsconference.com/ Revised CARICOM Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice: A Manifesto for the Coming Enlightenment https://caricom.org/documents/the-caricom-caribbean-community-ten-point-plan-for-reparations-a-manifesto-for-the-coming-enlightenment/ For media queries, please contact: Communications Unit, CARICOM Secretariat media@caricom.org | dike.noel@caricom.org

In celebration of 30 years at the forefront of international justice, the War Crimes Research Office (WCRO) at American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) hosted a two-day symposium on April 21-22, 2026. The global gathering brought together leading experts in international criminal law in a series of dynamic programs and panels, through both in-person and online formats.

To learn more, please find a short note about the event at the following link:

https://www.wcl.american.edu/news-events/news/auwcl-s-war-crimes-research-office-marks-30-years-of-international-justice.cfm

Recordings of these panels will continue to be made publicly available in the upcoming days.

March 25, 2026 | 12:00-1:15 pm Eastern Time

 

 

 

 

 

 

An ABACLE webinar co-sponsored by the International Criminal Law Committee.
General CLE Credit Hours: 1.25
For more information and to register, click here. Free for ABA members.

Extrajudicial killings are a crime that is often under-discussed among practitioners and scholars, even though it has become a crime that is being repeatedly perpetrated in various contexts around the world. This session will discuss the contours of extrajudicial killing within the US legal system and how attorneys can find avenues to assist with litigating cases. The session will also explore the ongoing situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran and how extrajudicial killing can mutate and take new forms through
different processes.

Moderator:
Danielle Gardner, International Criminal Law Committee, International Law Section.
Speakers:
• William Joseph Aceves, Chief Justice Roger Traynor Professor of Law, California Western School of Law.
• Leila Tarighi, Legal Expert and Researcher, Iran Human Rights.

Scholarships to defray tuition expense for ABACLE programs are available upon application on a program by-program, case-by-case basis. Preference will be given to public interest lawyers, government lawyers, full-time law professors, solo or small firm practitioners of limited means, and unemployed attorneys. Scholarship applications must be received at least two (2) weeks before the program start date. You will be notified prior to the program if your application is approved. A minimum fee may be charged on all approved scholarship applications to defray expenses. For programs with tuition costs over $500, qualifying attorneys will receive at least a 50% reduction in the course fee(s). Visit the program website for more information.

By Konstantina Zivla[1]

I.            Introduction

Interpol is widely perceived by the public and the media as an international police force with powers to investigate, arrest, and pursue individuals across borders.^[2] This perception is inaccurate. Interpol does not conduct investigations, does not determine guilt or innocence, and does not possess arrest powers. Put simply, Interpol is neither a “Global Police” in the traditional sense nor a “Court” that issues Red Notices against “guilty people.” Nevertheless, despite this formally limited mandate, Interpol plays a decisive role in international criminal cooperation. Its mechanisms, particularly Red Notices and diffusions, can trigger arrests, restrict liberty, and severely affect the personal, professional, and economic lives of the individuals concerned.

Interpol’s power lies not in enforcement, but in coordination. By facilitating the circulation of requests between National Central Bureaus (“NCBs”) and maintaining a global database of wanted persons, Interpol acts as a multiplier for national criminal proceedings. A single decision by the Interpol General Secretariat to issue a Red Notice may result in immediate arrest in one jurisdiction, travel bans in another, and prolonged uncertainty in a third. As such, Interpol’s procedures raise profound questions concerning legality, proportionality, discretion, and the protection of fundamental rights.

This article examines the legal framework governing the publication of Interpol Red Notices, focusing on the minimum criteria for publication and the General Secretariat’s discretion. Particular attention is given to Section 2 of Interpol’s Rules on the Processing of Data (“RPD”),^[3] which form the legal backbone of the Red Notice system.

II.            Interpol’s Role in the Apprehension of Wanted Persons

Interpol fulfils two principal functions in relation to wanted individuals. First, it maintains a centralized database containing information on persons sought by its member countries. Second, it serves as a conduit for communication between NCBs, particularly when urgent action, including provisional arrest, is sought.

Although Interpol does not investigate or arrest individuals directly, its actions have tangible and often immediate effects on personal liberty. The transmission of information between NCBs can result in an arrest at a border checkpoint. Inclusion in Interpol’s databases can lead to travel restrictions, visa refusals, banking disruptions, reputational damage, and professional exclusion. These consequences arise even before any judicial scrutiny takes place in the state where the individual is located. It is precisely because of these significant effects that Interpol’s internal procedures, safeguards, and review mechanisms merit close legal scrutiny.

III.            Red Notices: Definition and Purpose

Contrary to public belief, a Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant.^[4] It is an alert issued by Interpol’s General Secretariat at the request of an NCB of one of the 196 Interpol member countries. Its purpose is to seek the location of a wanted person and to request their detention, arrest, or restriction of movement for the purposes of extradition, surrender, or similar lawful action (Αrt. 82 of the RPD).^[5]

However, these objectives do not create a legal obligation for the remaining 195 Interpol member countries to arrest the individual concerned. The legal effect of a Red Notice depends entirely on domestic law. While some states treat Red Notices as a sufficient basis for provisional arrest, others require prior judicial authorization or additional national procedures. In practice, however, Red Notices frequently operate as de facto arrest triggers, particularly in jurisdictions that apply automatic or semi-automatic enforcement mechanisms.

IV.            Minimum Criteria for Red Notice’s Publication: Article 83(1) RPD

a)       Serious Ordinary-Law Crime

The first and most fundamental requirement is that the offense concerned qualifies as a “serious ordinary-law crime.” This concept is not expressly defined in Article 83 of the RPD.^[6] Nonetheless, Interpol has historically limited its activities to ordinary criminal matters to preserve its neutrality and comply with Article 3 of its Constitution, which prohibits involvement in political, military, religious, or racial matters.^[7]

Article 83(1)(a)(i) of the RPD explicitly excludes certain categories of offenses from eligibility for Red Notices. These include offenses that raise controversial issues relating to: (a) behavioral or cultural norms, (b) offenses relating to family or private matters, and (c) offenses of an administrative nature or arising from private disputes, unless they are linked to serious crime or organized criminal activity.

The first category covers offenses such as prostitution, surrogacy-related conduct, pornography offenses not linked to serious crime, personal drug use, and offenses affecting honor. The second category concerns offenses such as adultery, abortion, euthanasia, child support and alimony disputes, and certain parental child-abduction cases involving conflicting custody decisions. The third category encompasses offenses of an administrative nature or arising from private disputes, such as traffic and licensing violations, labour-law infringements, defamation, unfunded checks, and regulatory or financial breaches lacking personal gain, corruption, fraud, or serious harm.^[8] Although this non-exhaustive list provides guidance, it does not constrain the Secretariat’s discretion in individual cases.

b)       Penalty Thresholds

The second criterion relates to the seriousness of the penalty attached to the offense. Where a person is sought for prosecution, the conduct must be punishable by a maximum deprivation of liberty of at least two years or a more serious penalty. Where a person is sought to serve a sentence, the individual must have been sentenced to at least six months’ imprisonment, or at least six months of the sentence must remain to be served.^[9]

These thresholds are intended to ensure proportionality and to prevent the misuse of Interpol mechanisms for minor or trivial offenses. However, as discussed below, compliance with these thresholds does not automatically preclude the exercise of discretion in exceptional cases.

c)       Interest in International Police Cooperation

The third criterion is broadly formulated: the request must be “of interest for the purposes of international police cooperation.”^[10] This requirement is inherently flexible and grants the General Secretariat considerable latitude. Almost any cross-border criminal allegation can arguably be framed as engaging international police cooperation, particularly in an era of global mobility and transnational financial activity. This criterion establishes a general eligibility requirement that serves as a broad baseline filter and is ordinarily satisfied when a request involves cross-border elements or the potential involvement of more than one jurisdiction. In practice, it sets a low threshold and serves primarily to confirm that Interpol’s involvement is justified ratione materiae.

d)       Discretion of the Interpol General Secretariat

Moving forward to Paragraph (b) of Article 83, the RPD grants an exceptional discretionary power to the General Secretariat. Particularly, it allows the Secretariat to authorize publication of a Red Notice even where the core substantive criteria in (i) (serious ordinary-law crime) and/or (ii) (penalty thresholds) are not met, provided that, following consultation with the requesting National Central Bureau or international entity, the General Secretariat considers the notice to be of particular importance to international police cooperation. Unlike criterion (iii), which operates as a routine condition of admissibility, paragraph (b) explicitly permits departure from otherwise mandatory legal thresholds on the basis of perceived operational importance.

The notion of what constitutes a matter of “particular importance” to international police cooperation is not specified in the Rules, nor in any Decisions of the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (“CCF”). It is instead deliberately framed in broad and open-ended terms, allowing the General Secretariat to address situations that could not reasonably have been anticipated at the time of the Rules’ adoption.

Taken cumulatively, this drafting choice confers upon the General Secretariat an exceptionally wide margin of discretion. While a degree of discretion is inherent in administrative decision-making, discretion of such breadth risks undermining legal certainty and foreseeability, which lie at the very core of the right to a fair trial as enshrined in Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, within the normative framework in which the Organization pursues its objectives under Article 2(1) of its Constitution.^[11]

V.  Minimum Data Requirements: Article 83(2) RPD

In addition to substantive criteria, Article 83(2) of the RPD imposes strict requirements concerning the information that must accompany a Red Notice request. Except for the Identification Data, the requesting NCB must provide a clear and succinct summary of the facts, detailing the alleged criminal conduct, time, and location. The request must specify the charges, the applicable legal provisions, the maximum possible penalty or sentence, and reference a valid arrest warrant or judicial decision having the same effect.

VI. Legal Review by the General Secretariat

Before publication, all Red Notices are subject to a legal review by the Interpol General Secretariat. Article 86 of the RPD emphasizes that this review must ensure compliance with Interpol’s Constitution, particularly Articles 2 and 3. However, the Rules provide little transparency into how this review operates in practice.

First, the concept of a “legal review” is left open to interpretation. The RPD do not specify their scope, content, or methodology, nor do they clarify whether the assessment involves a substantive examination of the underlying facts or is limited to the requesting State’s allegations.

Second, the provision is further silent on the requirements of reason-giving and traceability. It neither obliges the General Secretariat to articulate the legal reasoning of its assessment nor to retain a record capable of meaningful ex post review by the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files. As a result, the review process remains opaque, reducing the obligation to conduct a legal review to a largely formalistic exercise.

VII. Final Remarks

Interpol Red Notices are not arrest warrants, nor are they issued under the same conditions as domestic arrest orders. They operate within Interpol’s own legal framework and are governed by specific provisions and criteria. Article 83 of the RPD establishes minimum safeguards while conferring a broad margin of discretion on the Interpol General Secretariat. This is not to imply that all Red Notices are issued unlawfully. This is to suggest that the flexibility of the rules creates uncertainty about whether all Red Notices are issued lawfully. The long-documented misuse of Interpol’s Red Notice system for political purposes provides concrete support to this concern.^[12]

 

[1] Konstantina Zivla is an International Lawyer and Associate Member at Guernica 37 Chambers (London) specializing in Interpol Notices and cross-border criminal enforcement.

^[2] https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/interpol-arrests-3700-suspects-global-trafficking-crackdown-129560370.

^[3] Interpol’s Rules on the Processing of Data (“RPD”) govern all data processing in the INTERPOL Information System, including that surrounding the issuance of all colour-coded Notices. The provisions specific to Red Notices can be found in Section 2. Available at: https://www.interpol.int/en/content/download/5694/file/26%20E%20RulesProcessingData_RPD.pdf/

^[4] INTERPOL,  View and Search Public Red Notices for Wanted Persons, https://www.interpol.int/en/How-we-work/Notices/Red-Notices/View-Red-Notices (Accessed 3 February 2026).

^[5] Article 82 of the RPD: “Red notices are published at the request of a National Central Bureau or an international entity with powers of investigation and prosecution in criminal matters in order to seek the location of a wanted person and his/her detention, arrest or restriction of movement for the purpose of extradition, surrender, or similar lawful action.”.

^[6] Article 83(1)(a)(i) of the RPD.

^[7] 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”.

^[8] INTERPOL, List of specific offences for which Red Notices may not be issued, https://share.google/zDms2IqxB3VKLCO5w (Accessed 10 January 2026).

^[9] Article 83(1)(a)(ii) of the RPD.

^[10] Article 83(1)(a)(iii) of the RPD.

^[11] Article 2(1) of Interpol’s Constitution: “[Interpol’s] aims are: (1) To ensure and promote the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities within the limits of the laws existing in the different countries and in the spirit of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”).

^[12] European Parliament, Misuse of Interpol’s Red Notices and impact on human rights – recent developments, January 2019, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2019/603472/EXPO_STU(2019)603472_EN.pdf (Accessed February 8, 2026); Ted R. Bromund, How the Abuse of Interpol Contributes to Transnational Repression, 14 July 2025, https://newlinesinstitute.org/intl-law-peace/how-the-abuse-of-interpol-contributes-to-transnational-repression/ (Accessed February 9, 2026).

  By Bruce Zagaris

We at the IELR send you best wishes for the new year. 2025 was momentous for the international enforcement community, and we are grateful to have had you following along with our coverage during our 40th year of discussing international enforcement developments.

We are grateful for the continuing long partnership with Professor Michael Plachta and contributions from practitioners and professors, including Aljohrh Al Abdulsalam, Ore Adedeji, the Basel Institute on Governance (Monica Guy and Kateryna Boguslavska), Dr. Ted Bromund, Lucy Carroll, Dan Fisher-Owens, Christina Gotsis, Frederick T. Davis, Jason Gottlieb, Sandra Grossman, Emily Hong, Paul Gully-Hart, Aiymgul Kachyke, Dimitris Konstantopoulos, Rodrigo Labardini, Marco Stewart Lopez, Charlie Magri, Luz E. Nagle, Konstantinos Magliveras, Jason McClurg, Gino Naldi, Yuriy L. Nemets, Simran Pandey, Michelle Roberts, Adriana Sanford, Katherine Scher, Luiz Fabricio Vergueiro, Alienor Vogeleer, and Konstantina Zivla. Since April 2024, Austin Wahl, a second-year law student at Washington College of Law, American Univ., has produced the IELR. Since May, Chloe Fontenelle has served as assistant editor.

We are also grateful for our partnerships with LexisNexis, WestLaw, EBSCO, and William Hein & Co. in distributing the IELR.

The following is a highlight of some of the articles we covered. In many cases, there are overlapping categories into which the articles fall, so we had to choose in which category to discuss the articles.

The Recovery and Return of Stolen Cultural Property

Fontenelle discussed a NYC judge’s ruling that an art institute must restitute Nazi-looted artwork to the heirs. Zagaris wrote about Argentina’s charges against the daughter of a Nazi officer relating to her concealment of a stolen painting. Carroll covered a stolen Egyptian artifact, returned by the Dutch government.

Money Laundering, Bank Secrecy, and Entity Transparency

The Basel Institute highlighted the gradual improvement in national AML systems as part of the results of the 13th public edition of the Basel AML Index. Zagaris covered the series of lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Corporate Transparency Act and FinCEN’s decision not to enforce beneficial ownership information reporting for United States (U.S.) persons and domestic entities. Zagaris discussed the Canadian government’s intelligence sharing on the laundering of fentanyl trafficking, as well as FinCEN’s designation of the Cambodia-based Huione Group as a primary money laundering concern. Kachyke wrote about new guides on international cooperation in AML/CFT: promise and limits.

Atrocity Crimes, Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, and War Crimes 

Plachta discussed the United Nations’ (U.N.) adoption of a resolution on further work on the Convention on Crimes against Humanity. Zagaris wrote about Israeli soldiers facing criminal investigations abroad. Tinubu covered the violence against journalists in the Israel-Gaza war.  Plachta covered the decision of European institutions to establish a special tribunal over aggression against Ukraine, as well as the Council of Europe’s (CoE) adoption of a resolution on the Special Tribunal and Register of Damage for Ukraine. He also reported on the U.N. Commission of Inquiry’s finding that the enforced disappearances committed by Russian authorities amount to crimes against humanity. Tinubu highlighted the sexual violence against children amidst the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zagaris discussed the U.S. notification of its withdrawal from the International Center to Prosecute Aggression against Ukraine, and the end of its support for the database on accountability for war crimes. Wahl wrote about a Finnish court finding a Russian mercenary guilty of war crimes. Hong covered the alarming accusations of reproductive violence and gender-based atrocity in Gaza against Israel. Zagaris discussed the U.S. indictment of a beekeeper for concealing genocidal participation in Rwanda. Manfield covered the Sudan v. UAE genocide case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Fontenelle wrote about the former member of a Gambian death squad’s conviction for torture in the U.S., as well as a German court’s decision to give a Syrian doctor a life sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Adedeji discussed immigration, genocide, and the ethics of obtaining U.S. citizenship. Plachta covered the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) rules against Russia in the case of Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia. Plachta covered U.N. investigators reveal systematic torture and other crimes in Myanmar, as well as the U.N. Commission’s allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Konstantopoulos discussed the French arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad and the power of in absentia judicial proceedings. Zagaris wrote about a U.S. jury’s awarding of $20 million to three Sudanese refugees against BNP Paribas. Fontenelle discussed Bangladesh’s international crimes tribunal sentences former Prime Minister to death for crimes against humanity.

International Criminal Court

Plachta discussed the International Criminal Court (ICC) Assembly of States Parties’ action on outstanding arrest warrants and how Italy has frustrated the ICC arrest warrant for a Libyan warlord accused of war crimes. He also covered ICC prosecutor requests for arrest warrants for Taliban leaders accused of gender-based crimes. Fontenelle wrote about the ICC’s conviction of a Sudanese militia commander for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Plachta discussed President Trump’s renewed sanctions against the ICC as well as the legal and political ramifications of the arrest of Duterte by the ICC.  Plachta covered the ICC Assembly of States Parties’ failure to amend the Rome Statute on aggression. Manfield discussed the ICC warrants for Taliban leaders for crimes against women and LGBTQ individuals. Plachta covered the withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from the ICC.

Extradition, Its Alternatives, and Human Rights

Zagaris discussed the Bangladesh extradition request for the former P.M. from India, and the Montenegrin extradition of a South Korean crypto entrepreneur to the U.S. Wahl highlighted the exotic use of Samuel Landi and his dream of seasteading to avoid criminal prosecution in Italy, as well as Thailand’s approval of the extradition of an illegal online gambling kingpin. Tinubu covered the extradition by France to the U.S. of a man accused of sexual assault. Vergueiro discussed how the international role of the Federal Attorney General’s Office in Brazil has expanded to assist in the extradition of a Brazilian criminal defendant abroad. Labardini covered Mexico’s transport of twenty-nine Mexican nationals charged with drug-trafficking to the U.S. Zagaris wrote about Romania’s capture of a French fugitive nine months after a deadly prison escape. Hong discussed Germany’s Constitutional Court’s overturning of the extradition of a non-binary citizen to Hungary. Plachta wrote about the U.K. High Court halting extradition to India on human rights grounds. Zagaris discussed a Spanish court’s finding that the former director of UNOPS is extraditable to the U.S. for corruption. Wahl discussed the arrest and extradition of cartel broker and fentanyl kingpin ‘Brother Zhang’ to Cuba.

Economic Integration: The European Union

Plachta discussed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s agreements with Eurojust, Europol, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office on cooperation in criminal matters. Plachta covered Europol’s release of its report on serious and organized crime threat assessment, as well as the EU’s conclusion of its agreement with Brazil to fight organized crime and terrorism. Plachta wrote about the decision by the CJEU on extradition by member states to third countries.

International Asset Forfeiture

Zagaris discussed the sharing by the U.S. of $50m million in forfeited assets with Estonia in exchange for financial enforcement activities, as well as the U.S. agreement to share $52.8 million in forfeited corruption proceeds with Nigeria. Zagaris covered Malysia requesting the extradition of Leissner and the pursuit of asset recovery. Fontenelle discussed Equatorial Guinea’s requests to the ICJ to stop the sale of the confiscated French mansion, as well as the DOJ’s seizure of millions of assets laundered by ransomware operations.

Cybercrime

Wahl covered the FBI’s novel sting operation in a cryptocurrency fraud case. Zagaris reviewed the onset of French prosecutors’  criminal investigations against Binance. Zagaris discussed the freeing of thousands of enslaved online scam workers from Myanmar. Wahl considered the plea by two Estonian nationals to $577 million cryptocurrency fraud, as well as the DOJ’s charging of ten Chinese hackers and others with stealing data and suppressing free speech. Gotsis and Gottlieb discussed the U.S. crypto enforcement overhaul. Konstantopoulos examined the DOJ indictment of the leader of a Russian malware scheme and global ransomware conspiracy, as well as the case of a multinational crypto scammer who faces justice after an international pursuit. Manfield discussed the U.N. Convention on Cybercrime. Wahl covered two OmegaPro executives charged with running a $650 million cybercrime operation. Kachyke discussed the U.S. State Department reward offer for alleged cybercriminals. Fontenelle reviewed a transnational cyberscamming crackdown, as well as a Chinese court’s sentencing of eleven crime syndicate members to death.

INTERPOL

Zivla covered INTERPOL and international parental child abduction. Bromund and Magri discussed Interpol’s updates of rules and guidance and the start of a silver notice. Wahl covered an Interpol-led operation targeting scams in Africa. Manfield discussed China, Interpol Red Notices, and GONGOs– their legal risks and international challenges.

Migration Enforcement

Zagaris wrote about Trump’s executive order on foreign terrorists and migration enforcement, and Latin American governments’ adverse response to the Trump administration’s deportations. Tinubu covered the Trump administration’s transfer of detained immigrants in Guantanamo to Venezuela. Zagaris wrote about the U.S. agreement with El Salvador to accept deportees, as well as U.S. transfers of thirteen Mexican detainees with drug convictions and a former governor to Mexico. Hong covered hostage diplomacy and U.S.-Russia prisoner swaps. Zagaris discussed the U.S. Supreme Court’s order to the Trump administration not to remove aliens under the Alien Enemies Act without due process. Fontenelle covered Lithuania’s landmark migrant smuggling case against Belarus before the ICJ. Manfield discussed domestic immigration raids through an international enforcement lens. Wahl covered the U.S. deportees suing the Ghanaian government over breach of human rights.

International Prisoner Transfers and Swaps

Pandey covered the U.S.-China prisoner swap. Zagaris discussed Venezuela’s release of U.S. prisoners and its agreement to accept Venezuelan deportees from El Salvador. Carroll examined Afghanistan’s release of a U.S. prisoner and what it signals for U.S.-Taliban relations.

Economic Integration: The Council of Europe

Plachta discussed the CoE’s call for comprehensive regulations of mercenaries, private militaries, and security companies, as well as the CoE’s effort to open a new Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law. Magliveras wrote about the CoE’s action addressing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and impunity.  Plachta covered the CoE’s adoption of a protocol amending the Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, as well as the treaty between the CoE and Ukraine to establish a special tribunal. Plachta wrote about the CoE’s opening for signature of the 3rd additional protocol to the CoE MLAT Convention.

International Tax Enforcement

Zagaris highlighted the issuance by the IRS of “John Does” summonses relating to entities doing business with Trident Trust Group. He covered the cum-ex dividend fraud cases in Denmark, Germany, and the U.S. Zagaris discussed Barrick Mining’s bringing of an ICSID case in a criminal tax dispute with Mali. He also considered a former U.S. defense contractor’s guilty plea in one of the largest U.S. tax evasion prosecutions, as well as Credit Suisse Services AG’s guilty plea to tax crimes concerning its conduct in Singapore. Zagaris covered the OECD report on designing a tax crime investigation manual, as well as the U.S. court’s granting of the government’s motion to compel Apple to give information in a Swiss tax investigation. He also examined U.S. requests for the extradition of prominent Guyanese for tax evasion and gold smuggling. Zagaris wrote about a Danish tax agency’s loss in a cum-ex dividend trial, and their plan to appeal the British court’s ruling. He reviewed UBS’s agreement to pay $985.6 million to settle a criminal tax case, and the U.S. court holding that the FBAR penalty assessment violated taxpayers’ 7th Amendment rights.

Transnational Corruption and Transparency

The settlement of a bribery investigation by McKinsey & Co. in South Africa was covered by Zagaris. He also covered the charges against former Florida Representative Rivera for FARA and money laundering, and the Trump administration’s executive order pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Zagaris wrote about the DOJ issuance of guidelines for FCPA enforcement, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals’ overturn of a trial court acquittal on commercial bribery abroad.

Export Control and Sanctions Enforcement

Zagaris covered Trump’s imposition of tariffs on China after threatening sanctions and tariffs on Canada and Mexico for drug trafficking and other transnational crimes. Tinubu wrote about Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador. Konstantopoulos discussed U.S. sanctions on the ICC as a shift in U.S. foreign policy, as well as how new sanctions against the family of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice signal a diplomatic rift between the Americas’ two most populous nations. Manfield focused on tariffs, emergencies, and the limits of power: a new chapter in IEEPA jurisprudence. Roberts wrote about the OFAC issues, maximum penalty in enforcement against a venture capital firm for Russia sanctions violations. Sanford discussed higher education at the intersection of export control, accessibility, and federal funding. Zagaris covered the U.S. indictment of the Haitian gang leader “Barbecue” for sanctions violations, as well as the U.S. Appellate Court’s affirmation of the decision that Trump’s tariffs are illegal, a case which the U.S. Supreme Court will hear on an expedited basis. Roberts, McClurg, and Fisher-Owens discussed the U.S. Department of Commerce BIS’s adoption of the “50 Percent Rule.”

Transnational Repression

Tinubu discussed the abduction in Kenya of Tanzanian and Ugandan opposition leaders. Hong discussed a new report by Freedom House on transnational repression. Scher covered the U.S. sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials for transnational repression acts. Vogeleer discussed the French application against Iran in the ICJ regarding the detention of two French nationals. Labardini, who covered Mexico, is credited with frustrating an Iranian plot to kill an Israeli Ambassador.

Transnational Organized Crime

Zagaris discussed Europol’s disruption of criminal organizations’ smuggling of hazardous salvage cars from the U.S; he also reviewed the U.S. and U.K.’s sanctioning of the head of the Cambodian Prince Group, as the U.S. unseals an indictment. Tinubu covered how Irish and Spanish authorities, with the help of Europol, arrested twelve members of “The Family,” an Irish criminal network. Konstantopoulos discussed how the case of Carlos Martinez reveals the tentacles of corruption, violence, and organized crime in America’s borderlands, as well as how the Rio police raid unveils the complexities of combating multinational gangs and extensive corruption in Brazilian financial institutions. Zagaris wrote about how CARICOM heads prioritize combating transnational organized crime and the strengthening of regional security. Fontenelle covered Ecuador’s extradition of a notorious gang leader to the U.S. Konstantopoulos discussed how the arrest of a fugitive Ecuadorian drug lord in Spain reveals the extent of corruption and organized crime in the small Andean country.

International Environmental Enforcement

Plachta wrote about the Council of Europe’s convention against ecocide. Wahl discussed the Environmental Investigation Agency’s uncovering of a massive illegal mercury trade in gold mining. Konstantopoulos covered the Rio police bust of a major wildlife trafficking network.

Immunity of Heads of State and Diplomatic Premises

Plachta covered the fact that some U.K. politicians hinted at a withdrawal from the ECHR.

Transnational Fraud

Zagaris wrote about IOSCO and the private sector’s work on combating online fraud and platform providers, as well as cooperation between Eurojust and the U.S. to take down global credit card fraud. Konstantopoulos discussed the role of foreign actors in defrauding the federal government.

International Sports Enforcement

Sanford discussed how House v. NCAA and the SCORE Act are reshaping global compliance in college sports, as well as how legal architecture, AI-enabled integrity, and cross-border enforcement converge at FIFA 2026.

International Human Rights Enforcement

Hong wrote about the U.S.’s expanding forced-labor blacklist, and the impact on global trade and human rights enforcement. Mansfield analyzed the rethinking of victim compensation after WhatsApp v NSO Group (re Israeli-based government spyware company). Vogeleer discussed France’s request to Algeria to release a journalist, citing endangerment of freedom of the press.

Human Trafficking

Wahl discussed a German-U.K. Joint Action targeting human smuggling in the English Channel, as well as an ex-Philippine mayor given a life sentence for human trafficking. Zagaris wrote about an EU court’s holding that a Maltese investor citizenship scheme violates EU law. Plachta covered the European Parliament’s amendment to the Europol regulation to effectively combat migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings.

International Narcotics Enforcement

Hong discussed the Mexican authorities’ record fentanyl seizure and implications for U.S.-Mexico relations. Zagaris discussed international cooperation between the U.S., Europol, and other governments to disrupt dark web narcotics operations. Wahl wrote about the U.S.’s charges against the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel faction with narco-terrorism. Zagaris discussed the U.S. bringing the first charge of material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, as well as the criticisms from the Mexican president over the son of El Chapo’s guilty plea. Carroll analyzed the relationship between war and law enforcement, and the legal challenges of the U.S.’s strike against alleged drug traffickers. Konstantopoulos discussed a kingpin’s guilty plea and the critical role of the Sinaloa cartel in modern American foreign policy. Zagaris wrote about how the U.S.-Colombia dispute hinders international narcotics enforcement; he also reviewed a U.N. Security Council meeting over U.S. military strikes on Venezuelan boats and executions.  Fontenelle discussed a Bali court’s sentencing of a  Ukrainian national to life for his involvement in an illicit drug operation. Labardini wrote about Operation Oyamel and Mexican cartels’ expansion into Europe.

Counter-Terrorism Enforcement

Plachta covered the Europol 2024 Terrorism Situation and Trend Report. Zagaris wrote about the U.K.’s arrest of an alleged animal rights and ecoterrorist on the U.S. FBI’s most-wanted list, as well as the U.S.’s removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism at the end of the Biden administration. Plachta discussed the U.N. Secretary-General’s report warning of the undiminished threat and adaptability of ISIL/Da’esh, and the U.N. Security Council’s session on the global threat posed by this terrorist organization.

Illicit Firearms Trafficking

Zagaris wrote about the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling against Mexico in a suit against the U.S. gun industry.

Jurisdiction and Immunities

Magliveras discussed the French highest court’s rules on the highly contentious issue of the immunity enjoyed (or not) by serving heads of state and state officials.

Sex Trafficking and Child Pornography

Nagle discussed international joint operations against child sex trafficking resulting in prosecutions and retaliatory lawsuits. Sanford wrote about child protection, AI, and the new architecture of liability on platforms like Meta and Roblox.

Internet Gaming

Zagaris discussed a state attorney general’s pressuring of the U.S. DOJ to crack down on illegal offshore gaming.

Citizen Security

Zagaris wrote about IDB announces $2.5 billion and a rapid response task force for security.

International Evidence Gathering

Davis discussed the High Court of Australia paves the way for the use of “AN0M” evidence – and validates global “outsourcing.

In connection with the AI-generated podcast introducing the IELR, released last week in honor of over 40 years of the publication, IELR founders Bruce Zagaris and Clemens Kochinke have created the following informational video using AI.

In honor of the IELR’s 4oth anniversary, attorneys Bruce Zagaris and Clemens Kochinke used Google’s Gemini AI to produce a podcast episode introducing the reporter, titled “IELR Podcast 2025.”

Listen below:

Bergman’s Book In The Shadows Provides Key Insight On Freeing Americans Detained Abroad

By Kaila Hall

 

On July 11, hostage negotiator Mickey Bergman discussed¹ his new book, In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad,² at the Stimson Center. Released in June 2024, In the Shadows details Bergman’s accounts of high-profile negotiations, including Brittney Griner, Danny Fenster, Otto Warmbier, Trevor Reed, and countless others. The event was moderated by Stimson Center President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Finlay.

Michael “Mickey” Bergman serves as the Vice President and Executive Director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, where he manages efforts to negotiate the release of political prisoners.³ Named after U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson, the Center advocates for global peace and dialogue. Bergman has over 18 years of experience in “Fringe Diplomacy, a discipline exploring the space just beyond the boundaries of States and Governments’ capacity and authority in international relations.”⁵ The Richardson Center works solely on behalf of the families of Americans captured abroad at no cost.

At the Stimson Center, Bergman began by discussing the negotiation process to release American journalist Danny Fenster who was detained at the Yangon International Airport in Myanmar following the 2021 military coup. During the coup d’état, the Tatmadaw military deposed Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and installed Senior General Min Aung Hlaing into power. Fenster previously worked for a legal publication before the coup and consequently remained in custody for six months. At the request of Fenster’s family, the Richardson Center team initiated the negotiation process and secretly secured a deal by creating a personal friendship with Myanmar’s leader. Following an expedited trial and sentencing, Fenster was released and flown first to Qatar, then the US.

Afterward, Bergman addressed criticism that hostage negotiations could incentivize foreign regimes to hold more Americans hostage in the future to receive something in return from the US. While Bergman certainly understood the critique, he found it “intellectually lazy” and “morally bankrupt” because avoiding release deals would essentially build a “deterrence policy on the backs of innocent captured Americans.” He stated, “We need to do everything we can to bring them home and it’s our responsibility once they’re home to come up with the deterrence policies that can actually help mitigate this issue going into the future.” He also added that there is no statistical correlation between the release deals and more Americans being detained afterward.

Throughout his experience, Bergman stated he has identified two cardinal truths: hostage deals never improve over time, and that time is detrimental to the health of hostages. He has also devised the theory of return in which the team develops a uniquely tailored strategy to ensure the most efficient pathway toward the release of captured Americans.

On the question of deterrence, Mickey Bergman explained that his job was to bring captured Americans home rather than to deter countries from taking more hostages. He noted that the repeat offenders of “hostage diplomacy” are often the most sanctioned by the US. Under these terms, “hostage diplomacy” becomes a mode of communication for these states. Bergman suggested that Red Notices on hostage-holders could be beneficial but risky in terms of deterrence. Additionally, he pointed to forms of positive deterrence in which a bilateral agreement accompanies the release of a hostage.

Bergman also touched upon efforts to release hostages held in Gaza by Hamas following the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. In the first 54 days, Bergman stated that his theory of return successfully released 109 hostages, but has struggled to produce results in the months since. He particularly emphasized unsuccessful efforts to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal to release the remaining hostages. Bergman suggested that, to Netanyahu, as long as there are hostages, Israel’s war is justified, and no elections will be held as a result. The hostage negotiator believes that if President Biden can secure a humanitarian deal to release the Israeli-American hostages, this will provide leverage to convince Netanyahu to accept the deal.

In 2019 and 2023, Mickey Bergman was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his hostage negotiations alongside Ambassador Richardson. Following Ambassador Richardson’s passing in September 2023, Bergman became the CEO of Global Reach, an organization dedicated to bringing home wrongfully detained Americans abroad whether by terrorist groups, criminal gangs, or foreign governments.⁶

 

Kaila Hall is an intern at IELR. She is a rising senior at Cornell University.

 

[1] The Stimson Center’s conversation with Mickey Bergman may be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzBOwQYPgZo

[2] Mickey Bergman’s book In the Shadows may be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-High-Stakes-Negotiations-Americans-Captured/dp/1546004750

[3] Staff | the Richardson Center. 2 July 2015, www.richardsondiplomacy.org/staff-members/.

[4] ‌Our Mission | the Richardson Center. 29 June 2015, www.richardsondiplomacy.org/about-us/.

[5] ‌Staff | the Richardson Center. 2 July 2015, www.richardsondiplomacy.org/staff-members/.

[6] “Global Reach.” Www.reach.global, www.reach.global.‌

 

We at the IELR send you the best wishes for a new year.  2022 was momentous for the international enforcement community, and we are grateful to have had you following along with our coverage during our 38^th year of discussing international enforcement developments.

We are grateful for the continuing long partnership with Professor Michael Plachta and for contributions from practitioners and professors, including Kateryna Boguslavska, Dr. Ted Bromund, Frederick T. Davis,  Uttam Dhillon, Luz E. Nagle, Dennis Boyle, Konstantinos Magliveras, Gino Naldi, Kayla de Alto, and Linda Friedman Ramirez, and Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith.   Marwah Adhoob finished her tenure as assistant editor in January.  Alexander Mostaghimi has capably served as assistant editor and has already been offered admission into law school.   Other Berliner Corcoran & Rowe LLP  interns,  John Kennamer, Mirrah Papovsky, and Kenneth Boggess, as well as legal assistants, such as Savannah Telfer, Sara Kaufman, Narisa Chowdhury contributed articles.

The following is a highlight of only some of the articles we covered.

Crimes against humanity and international human rights abuses had several articles.  Kaufman discussed the allowance of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to run for the Libyan presidency despite a war crimes conviction. Mostaghimi covered the issuance of U.S. sanctions against Bangladesh’s paramilitary force for human rights abuses.  Zagaris discussed the Bosnian Appeals Chamber affirmance of a conviction of a Serb ex-policeman’s crime against humanity.  Mostaghimi covered Gambia’s efforts to prosecute former President Jammeh for crimes against humanity.   DeAlto covered the arrest of a Serbian man in Budapest for crimes charged by the Kosovo Special Prosecution.  Mostaghimi covered a prosecution by a German court of a German ISIS returnee for abusing a Yazdi woman in Syria as well as the Swedish court’s conviction of an Iranian under universal jurisdiction..

Concerning Genocide and War Crimes, Naldi and Magliveras covered the ICJ’s dismissal of objections to its jurisdiction in the Rohingya genocide case.  Plachta discusses a special court in Colombia’s conviction of 22 perpetrators for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

With respect to international human rights enforcement, Plachta discussed the Council of Europe’s resolution concerning the poisoning of Alexi Navalny.  Mostaghimi covered the State Department release of 2021 country reports on human rights practices.  Plachta discussed the Council of Europe’s termination of membership of Russia.  Mostaghimi discussed the OAS’s suspension of Russia as a permanent observer.  A story by Zagaris discussed the issuance by President Biden of an executive order to deter wrong detention of Americans abroad.  Plachta wrote about a report by the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, alleging crimes against humanity by China against the Uyghurs.  Mostaghimi discussed an OCCRP report showing Rwanda lying to U.S. law enforcement and abusing Interpol Red Notices.  Zagaris wrote about a report of Global Financial Integrity on PRC and transnational crime as well as U.S. charges against 13 persons in 3 cases for participating in malign schemes in the U.S. on behalf of the PRC.

International tax enforcement was prominent.  B. Zagaris wrote about the proposal by the European Commission to end abuse of shell entities for tax and criminal purposes in the EU.  Zagaris discussed the English Appellate Court’s decision in favor of the Danish tax authority in a cum-ex dividend case.  Zagaris covered the OECD announcement of a public consultation on tax transparency for crypto-assets.  Efforts by DOJ to enforce an IRS John Doe summons against the U.S. firm helping U.S. persons establish foreign financial accounts was discussed by Zagaris.  An article by Zagaris discussed the decision of the CJEU that DAC6 intermediary reporting rules violate the legal professional privilege.  Zagaris covered a webinar and book of the StAR and World Bank on Taxing Crime: A Whole of Government Approach to Fighting Corruption, Money Laundering, and Tax Crime.

International securities enforcement continue to receive attention.  B. Zagaris covered the guilty plea of NatWest Markets Plc to spoofing on the U.S. markets.    Zagaris discussed the issuance by IOSCO of good practices on the use of global supervisory colleges in securities markets.  The Allianz Global Investors  US guilty plea to securities fraud was discussed by Zagaris.

Transnational corruption, transparency and international asset forfeiture loomed large in coverage.   Zagaris discussed the first ever U.S. strategy on countering corruption issued by the White House.  Zagaris covered the U.S. placement of the former Honduras President on the list of corrupt officials.  Zagaris covered the recovery of over $11 billion of stolen/embezzled assets by the Angolan government and the U.S. sanctioning of 3 Angolans for corruption.  Davis discussed the end of U.S. v. Hoskins and the potential end of an era (referring to extraterritorial U.S. jurisdiction).  Zagaris wrote articles about DOJ’s lawsuit against Steven Wynn for not registering as an agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and the court’s dismissal of the suit.  An article by Zagaris discussed the Brazilian Airline GOL agreeing to a DPA in a joint settlement with the U.S. and Brazil over bribery charges.  Plachta discussed the announcement by the European Parliament of major reforms amid the Qatar corruption scandal.  Zagaris covered the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice against Isabel dos Santos.

Human trafficking remained important.  Boggess covered the extradition by Kenya of a Dutch citizen to the Netherlands to face migrant smuggling charges.  Mostaghimi discussed Operation Storm Makers coordinated with Interpol, triggering 121 arrests of persons for migrant smuggling and human trafficking.  An article by Telfer discussed the guilty plea by Dominican drug lord “El Abusador” to trafficking multi-tons of cocaine into the U.S.

On Counterterrorism and International Human Rights, Mostaghimi wrote about the former Kansas school teacher facing prosecution in U.S. courts for supporting ISIS.  Plachta discussed the EU’s controversial proposal for Egypt as the joint president of the global counter-terrorism forum.  Plachta discussed the European Commission’s report on the 2017 EU terrorism directive.  Zagaris covered the guilty plea by Lafarge in the U.S. to giving material support to foreign terrorist organizations. Plachta wrote about Australia and the Netherlands taking action against Russia in the MH17 case before the ICAO as well as the judgment of the District Court in the Hague, convicting three for the 2014 downing of MH17 over Ukraine.  A story by Mostaghimi discussed ICAO’s release of a fact-finding report on Ryanair Flight 4978 that was diverted by a bomb threat to land in Minsk.

Cybercrime was on the rise.  Mostaghimi covered the GAO’s release of recommendations to combat human and drug trafficking in cryptocurrency markets.  Zagaris covered the seizure by the U.S. and Europol of one of the world’s largest hacker forums and arrest of the administrator.  Mostaghimi discussed DOJ’s unsealing  an indictment against four Russian malware hackers.      Zagaris discussed Russia’s arrest of 14 alleged members of the REvil ransomware gang as Ukraine experienced hacks and malware.  Zagaris reported on the OAS REMJA Working Group recommendations on cybercrime.

Concerning Child Sexual Exploitation, Plachta covered the EU’s issuance of  operational actional plan 2022 on child sexual exploitation.

On the Recovery and Return of Stolen Cultural Property, Zagaris reported that a collector of Cambodian antiquities decided to  relinquish them in a forfeiture action. He also discussed the U.S. repatriation of 200 stolen antiquities to Italy.  Mostaghimi covered the Smithsonian Institute’s plans to return Benin bronzes to Nigeria.

On International Environmental Enforcement and Illicit Financial Flows, Zagaris discussed a S. African study on illicit financial flows associated with international wildlife trafficking. He also discussed a report recommending the UK close gaps in illegal wildlife trade and illicit finance.  Zagaris covered the U.S. suspension and then lifting of a ban on avocados and Mexican fishing boats from the U.S. under the environmental chapter of the USMCA.  A story by Zagaris discussed Colombia’s arrest 3 persons on a U.S. extradition warrant for wildlife trafficking.

Zagaris discussed under International Intellectual Property Enforcement and the DOJ China Initiative, that Harvard Professor Lieber was convicted of false statements and tax offenses for his China links.  Zagaris also discussed the U.S. indictment charging a PRC-based telecom company with conspiracy to steal technology from Motorola.  Zagaris reported on the U.S. Justice Department’s end of its China Initiative.

Concerning Conflict Minerals, Mostaghimi wrote about the new Swiss ordinance on child labor and conflict mining in the Supply chain.

With respect to Transnational Organized Crime (TOC), Fraud, and International Sports, Plachta discussed the adoption by the European Parliament of two resolutions on various aspects of transnational organized crime.  Zagaris discussed President Biden’s executive order creating a U.S. Council on Transnational Organized Crime. A story by Zagaris discussed how a bloodhound snagged Caro Quintero, wanted by the U.S. for the 1985 murder of a DEA agent.  Mostaghimi and Boyle covered the initial appearance of former Honduran President Hernandez on TOC and narcotics conspiracy charges.

On Money Laundering, Zagaris discussed the IBA’s issuance of a report on the legal professional privilege, highlighting a growing controversy about its potential abuse. Mostaghimi covered the U.S. Treasury Department’s new study on money laundering and terrorist financing in the art world. Zagaris discussed the FATF plenary’s agreement to revise beneficial ownership rules and issuance of guidance for real estate. Plachta report on Swiss secrets: Credit Suisse’s massive leak reveals accounts held by politicians, criminals and suspects.  Zagaris discussed the UK enactment of a law establishing a register of overseas entities to combat laundering. Kennamer discussed the Global Witness report showing laundering of conflict minerals.  A story by Zagaris discussed the Cape Verdean Central Bank’s order of administrative liquidation of the offshore bank owned by Angolan Isabel dos Santos.  Boguslavska covered the 11^th Basel AML Index, providing a snapshot of money laundering trends and concerns.  An article by Zagaris covered the U.S. Treasury’s final rule on reporting beneficial ownership information.  Zagaris discussed the CJEU decision that the beneficial ownership registry information violates EU privacy obligations as well as the suit by the National Small Business Association against U.S. Treasury, challenging the Corporate Transparency Act.

With respect to Economic Sanctions, Magliveras discussed the regulation of autonomous sanctions in Australia.  Nagle discussed Russian oligarchs using Colombian bank accounts to avoid sanctions.  Zagaris reported on the Justice Department’s start of a task force to enforce sanctions against Russian oligarchs and the first indictment for violations of those sanctions as well as on Fiji’s seizure of a $300m yacht of a sanctioned Russian oligarch and Italy’s seizure of a$700m yacht linked to Putin..

Concerning Maritime and Aircraft Piracy, Mostaghimi reported on the UN commending Nigeria for prosecuting piracy.  Zagaris discussed the indictment in New York, charging Belarusian government officials with aircraft piracy.  Plachta discussed the submission of reports by the UN Secretary-General on piracy and armed robbery at sea.

There were multiple articles on Atrocity Crimes in Ukraine.  Plachta discussed the ICJ indication of provisional measures against Russia in the context of military aggression against Ukraine.  Plachta discussed efforts to create special tribunals for the aggression committed by Russia against Ukraine.  An article by Papovsky discusses the draft law for a Ukrainian High War Crimes Court.  Plachta covered the ECtHR’s adoption of Ukraine’s request for interim measures against Russia. Plachta discussed the OSCE report finding crimes committed by the Russian military during its aggression against Ukraine.  An article by Plachta discusses the report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, finding an arrest of war crimes.  Plachta discussed the report by the UN Human Rights Office, finding war crimes of willful killing of civilians by the Russian forces in Ukraine.  An article by Mostaghimi discusses the selection of the Georgetown Law Center for National Security to head a War Crimes Advisory Group.  An article by Plachta discussed the designation by the EU Parliament of Russia as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism”.

With respect to International Narcotics Enforcement Mostaghimi reported on the arrest of 45 persons in a large scale cocaine bust in Belgium and Spain. Plachta discussed the issuance by Europol and the DEA of a joint report on the connection between the Mexican cartels and the EU market.

On Transfer of Criminal Proceedings, Mostaghimi discussed the transfer of the trial on the Khashoggi assassination from Turkey to Saudi Arabia.

Extradition saw many articles.  Zagaris and Mostaghimi wrote articles about the efforts of the U.S. to charge and obtain custody over persons involved in the assassination of  former  Haitian President Jovenel Moise on July 7, 2021.  Zagaris wrote multiple articles on decisions by U.K. courts on the U.S. efforts to extradite Julian Assange.  An article by Ramirez discusses a French national arrested in Morocco arguing against extradition to the U.S.  Zagaris wrote a couple of articles about Honduras’ extradition of its former president Juan Orlando Hernandez to the U.S. on charges of participating in a “violent drug-trafficking conspiracy”.  Mostaghimi discussed the Mozambique challenge to the ruling to extradite its former finance minister to the U.S.   An article by Zagaris covers the decision by the ECtHR blocking extradition to China.  Ramirez discussed a Russian national extradited to the U.S. from Greece in an alleged crypto money laundering case while the French counsel seeks clients to be included in a prisoner swap.  An article by Zagaris discussed the Privy Council upholding the extradition of the ex-FIFA VP Jack Warner from Trinidad & Tobago to the U.S.

On International Intelligence Sharing, Evidence Gathering, and Data Privacy, Zagaris reported on the European Data Protection Supervisor’s orders to Europol to change data processing.  A story by Plachta  discussed the establishment by the EU and U.S. of an “informal export group” on MLA and extradition.  Zagaris discussed a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals that foreign governments can use letters rogatory or MLAT requests  in gathering evidence in Nigeria for a U.S. criminal case.

With respect to Illegal Firearms Trafficking, Zagaris wrote articles about a U.S. court in Arkansas sentencing a man for trafficking firearm parts to Mexican cartels.  An article by Zagaris discussed the dismissal of the Mexican government’s lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers in the U.S. Court in Massachusetts and a new suit filed by Mexico in the U.S. District Court in Arizona against gun distributors.

Concerning Interpol Accountability, Uttam Dhillon and Dr. Ted R. Bromund discussed the FY 2022 NDAA provisions on transnational repression accountability and prevention provision on Interpol abuse.

On Bilateral Enforcement Cooperation, Zagaris covered U.S. and Canada law enforcement meeting to reestablish the cross-border crime forum.

Concerning the International Criminal Court, Mostaghimi covered the Central African Republic’s alleged war criminal facing an initial hearing at the ICC.  Chowdhury covered the ICC Prosecutor’s visit to Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh concerning  the investigation of crimes committed against the refugees from Myanmar.

With respect to Jurisdiction, Immunities, International Organizations, and Diplomatic Immunities, Davis covered the Fifth Circuit’s consideration of arguments on the dismissal “for lack of jurisdiction” of an indictment against two European citizens.  Kennamer discussed the U.S. appellate court’s decision upholding Interpol immunity on a suit for potential Red Notice abuse.  Mostaghimi covered a German diplomat’s flight from Brazil one day before his indictment for murder.

On Comparative prison Law and Prisoner Transfer Agreements, Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith discussed a conference on penal reform, highlighting harsh prison realities in the Caribbean. Zagaris discussed Belgian ratification of a prisoner transfer treaty with Iran despite widespread criticism.

Concerning Migration Enforcement, Telfer discussed an agreement by the Unitary Platform and Maduro government in Venezuela to request the release of billions of frozen Venezuelan funds for humanitarian relief as refugee migration from Venezuela reaches new records.

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