MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

What are the red notices Argentina has sought from Interpol over Sea Lion

The chief executive of the islands’ government, Andrea Clausen, acknowledged that the use of Interpol poses a threat

Argentina has requested Interpol red notices against individuals linked to the Sea Lion oil project north of the Falklands, and the United Kingdom has asked the organisation to reject them as “politically motivated”, according to the British newspaper The Guardian. Interpol responded by reaffirming Article 3 of its constitution, which prohibits any intervention or activity of a political character.

A red notice is a request to police worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. It is not an international arrest warrant: Interpol reviews each request before circulating it, but each state decides whether to act. According to the newspaper, British officials are concerned that Argentina could persuade other countries that its requests are based on domestic law rather than political motives. It has not emerged how many people are affected or whether any notice has been issued.

The chief executive of the islands’ government, Andrea Clausen, acknowledged that the use of Interpol poses a threat. “One would hope that Interpol wouldn’t necessarily take action,” she said. “Certainly those of us who have an interest have had a look at certain sections of Interpol’s constitution to see what we think it could mean.” Workers in the oil and fishing sectors fear being detained if they travel, particularly to South America.

Argentina has launched criminal proceedings against Navitas Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration, the project’s partners. British officials quoted by The Guardian describe Argentina’s campaign as the most serious since the 1982 war. On Tuesday, London announced measures to shield its companies from Argentine sanctions, and Argentina asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to order a halt to Sea Lion.