Interpol Lawyer in Germany

Germany is a fully cooperative Interpol member state and one of Europe’s most active jurisdictions for acting on international arrest notices. As a Schengen area member and signatory to the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) framework, Germany enforces both Interpol Red Notices and bilateral extradition requests from a wide range of countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United States.

For individuals from post-Soviet states, the Middle East, or Turkey who have relocated to Germany — often for safety or business reasons — the country can paradoxically become a point of vulnerability. German federal and state police routinely check arriving passengers and individuals stopped during ordinary police controls against Interpol databases. A valid Red Notice or a Diffusion notice can trigger immediate arrest and provisional detention pending an extradition decision by the Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht).

Our lawyers have handled cases across Germany and understand both the German legal framework for extradition proceedings and the parallel track of challenging the underlying Interpol notice at the CCF level in Lyon. Acting on both fronts simultaneously is often the most effective strategy.

Our Germany-focused Interpol defence practice covers the full range of international law challenges:

Germany’s extradition law is governed by the Gesetz über die internationale Rechtshilfe in Strafsachen (IRG — Act on International Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters). For extradition to EU member states, the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) applies. For non-EU countries, Germany follows a treaty-based or case-by-case bilateral approach.

Key features of German extradition proceedings that your lawyer must address:

• Dual criminality: The conduct alleged must be a criminal offence under both German law and the requesting state’s law. Our lawyers scrutinise this requirement carefully in cases from Russia, where criminalised activity may include legitimate business or political conduct.
• Political offence exception: Germany will not extradite for politically motivated charges. This is a powerful defence ground in cases involving Russian or Belarusian prosecutions of dissidents, journalists, or business figures.
• Human rights bar: Under Article 73 IRG, extradition may be refused if there is a real risk of torture, inhuman treatment, or an unfair trial in the requesting state. This is particularly relevant for Russia and certain Central Asian states.
• German national protection: Germany generally does not extradite its own nationals. If you hold German citizenship or permanent residency, this can significantly limit the requesting state’s options.

The extradition process in Germany typically involves an initial arrest and detention, a hearing before the Oberlandesgericht, and — if extradition is declared admissible — a final government decision. Each stage presents legal intervention opportunities that experienced counsel can exploit.

Germany has a substantial Russian-speaking population — estimated at over one million — including emigrants who left Russia following the 2022 escalation, business professionals, and political dissidents. Many of these individuals face targeted criminal proceedings initiated in Russia specifically to pursue them abroad through Interpol channels.

Russia remains one of the most prolific issuers of Interpol Red Notices globally, and a disproportionate share of these notices is politically motivated or commercially driven — used to settle business disputes, neutralise political opponents, or pressure individuals into returning to Russia. Interpol’s own CCF has found Russia-issued notices to be in violation of Interpol’s rules at a notably high rate.

If you are a Russian national living in Germany and you are aware of criminal proceedings in Russia — or suspect a notice may have been filed against you — it is critical to take preventive legal action immediately. We can check your status through confidential Interpol access channels, file a Preventive Request to block any pending notice, and prepare a full CCF challenge if a Red Notice already exists.

Similarly, Ukrainian nationals residing in Germany and facing Ukrainian prosecution — as well as clients from Turkey, Kazakhstan, or other states with a history of Interpol misuse — benefit from the same comprehensive defence strategy.

Intercollegium is a specialist international law firm focused exclusively on Interpol, extradition, and sanctions defence. We are not a general criminal law practice that occasionally handles international cases — this is all we do. Our team has successfully challenged hundreds of Interpol notices before the CCF and defended clients against extradition proceedings across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

For clients in Germany, we offer: