Seminar
WHEN POLICING BECOMES POLITICAL - International police cooperation in the era of spin dictators
- Date
- Thursday 9 July 2026
- Time
- Address
-
Spui Campus
Spui 5
2511 BL The Hague - Room
- Auditorium
So how can we solve the structural weaknesses in global police cooperation — and strengthen accountability, sovereignty, and the international rule of law?
Autocracy and the International Order
This seminar places the abuse of Interpol within the broader context of what political scientists call the “autocratic resurgence” — the global rise of strongman leaders and “spin dictators” who maintain a veneer of legality while hollowing out democratic institutions. These regimes do not simply repress at home; they project power internationally, weaponising the very institutions and legal frameworks designed to uphold cooperation and human rights. In a sense, Spin dictators are able to play the game of international law, employing it rather than denouncing it.
From an international relations perspective, this represents a fundamental challenge to the liberal international order. The norms that underpin global governance — sovereignty, non-interference, and the protection of individual rights — are being turned on their head. When authoritarian states use Interpol to pursue political vendettas, they exploit the trust that democracies place in multilateral institutions, creating a crisis of legitimacy that affects every country in the system. This is not just a legal or technical problem. It sits at the intersection of great power competition, democratic backsliding, and the evolving architecture of global governance — making it essential for anyone interested in how international politics actually works.
Programme
18:00 – 18:15 Registration & Welcome
18:15 – 19:00 Panel 1 — Between Cooperation and Complicity
19:00 – 19:15 Questions from the public
19:15 – 20:00 Panel 2 — Voices Under Threat
20:00 – 20:15 Questions from the public
20:15 – 21:00 Reception
Panel 1 — Between Cooperation and Complicity
States’ Obligations Under International Law in International Police and Judicial Cooperation
When a democratic state receives an Interpol Red Notice from an authoritarian regime, it faces a genuine dilemma. On the one hand, honouring international police cooperation is essential for fighting crime and achieving the values of the international community as a whole. On the other hand, executing a politically motivated request signifies, at least to a certain degree, institutional complicity in repression. This panel explores the legal and political tensions at the heart of this problem — examining how international law, from non-refoulement to the political offence exception, should guide state behaviour.
Speakers:
Dr. Eelco van der Maat, Leiden University
Cristian González Ruiz, IHR Advisors
Ben Keith, Barrister, 5 St Andrew's Hill
Moderator: Prof. Larissa van den Herik, Leiden University
Panel 2 — Voices Under Threat
Human Rights Defenders and Political Opponents in the Crosshairs of Transnational Repression
Behind every abusive Red Notice is a human story: a journalist forced to flee, an activist detained at a border, a political opponent living in permanent uncertainty. This panel shifts the focus from legal frameworks to lived experience, examining how transnational repression affects real people and real communities. Drawing on cases from across the globe, panellists will discuss the strategies autocratic regimes use to reach beyond their borders, the geopolitical dynamics that enable this, and what the international community — from the EU to the UN — can do to protect those at risk.
Speakers:
Rhys Davies, Barrister, Temple Gardens Chambers
Prof. Carsten Stahn, Leiden University
Dr. Misha Plagis, Council of Europe
Moderator: Mariá Manuela Márquez V., Leiden University