Valken Briefings · Updated weekly
Written by practising Swiss lawyers

Plain-language legal writing on complicated things.

Clear, practical guides for people facing travel uncertainty, Interpol questions, border risks, banking freezes and sanctions issues — written by the lawyers who actually handle these cases.

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Interpol 7
Travel & Border 6
Banking 4
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24 articles

Can I Be Stopped at the Airport Because of Interpol?

What travellers should know about Red Notices, diffusions, border alerts and why a clean public search does not always mean there is no risk.

Flight in 72 Hours: How to Check Legal Travel Risk Before You Fly

A practical guide for people who need urgent clarity before travelling through Europe, Switzerland, the UK or another high-control border route.

Is an Interpol Red Notice Public? Why You May Not Find Yourself Online

Public Interpol notices are only one layer. Some risks may involve non-public alerts, diffusions, national systems, sanctions matches or border-control records.

Can You Transit Through Europe If You Have an Old Case Abroad?

Why airport transit is not always risk-free — and how old criminal, political, business or immigration matters may still affect your route.

Can a Bank Freeze Your Account Because of an Interpol or Sanctions Match?

How compliance screening, sanctions lists, adverse media, PEP status and name matches can affect bank accounts — even when no one explains why.

What Happens If You Are Detained at an Airport in Europe?

A calm guide for families and travellers: questioning, document checks, police referral, immigration holding, lawyer access and urgent next steps.

How the CCF Actually Works: Challenging an Interpol Notice in 2026

The Commission for the Control of Files can order deletion of a notice. Here is what the procedure looks like from the inside, and where most applications fail.

European Arrest Warrant vs. Interpol Red Notice: Why the Difference Matters

Clients often conflate the two. They are legally very different instruments, with different procedures, different defences and very different practical consequences.

Your Swiss Bank Closed Your Account Without Explanation. Now What?

Banks in Switzerland can close accounts almost at will, but they still have to comply with rules of process. What those rules are — and when they can be challenged.

Delisting from OFAC, SECO and EU Sanctions Registers: A Realistic Guide

Delisting is slow, procedural and often successful — provided the application is built properly. What "properly" means in each of the three main Western regimes.

Politically Motivated Red Notices: How Interpol Actually Filters Abuse

Article 3 of Interpol's Constitution forbids notices of a political, military, racial or religious character. In practice, Article 3 is only as strong as the case you build around it.

SIS II Alerts: The Schengen Database That Almost No One Talks About

The Schengen Information System is the EU's own parallel alert network — independent from Interpol, queried at every border, and almost invisible to outside review.

PEP Screening and Private Banking: Why Your Cousin's Job Can Close Your Account

"Politically Exposed Person" status is wider than most clients realise — and it propagates through family, business and historical association in ways compliance departments do not always understand.

Russia and CIS Red Notices in 2026: What Has — and Hasn't — Changed

Interpol's relationship with Russia has shifted substantially since 2022. Here is what the practical impact is for people concerned about notices originating from the region.

The Dual-Criminality Rule: The First Defence in Most Extradition Cases

A country will not usually extradite for conduct that is not a crime under its own law. How this apparently simple rule becomes complicated at the margins — and why framing matters.

Someone You Love Has Been Detained Abroad: The First Six Hours

A short, practical checklist for the family member on the other end of the phone call. Who to contact, what to say, what not to say, and how to buy a lawyer enough time to intervene.

Adverse Media: How an Old News Article Can Haunt Your Banking Relationship

Compliance teams run your name through adverse-media databases. Once something is in, it is very hard to take out. What those databases actually contain — and what you can do about it.

Schengen Visa Refused: Reading Between the Lines of the Rejection Code

Visa rejections rarely say what they actually mean. The numerical codes correspond to specific legal grounds — many of which are appealable if you know what the wording really refers to.

UN Security Council Sanctions on Individuals: The Highest Tier, Explained

Being named on a UN Security Council list is the most serious level of individual sanction. The delisting procedure exists but is narrow — here is how it really works in 2026.

Secondary Inspection at the Border: What Actually Happens Behind the Door

Being asked to "step aside" is not the same as being arrested. A factual account of what secondary inspection involves, what your rights are, and how long it typically takes.

Interpol Diffusions: The Lighter, Faster, Less-Regulated Cousin of a Red Notice

Diffusions are sent directly between countries with lighter Interpol oversight. They are easier to abuse and harder to find — and in many cases they are what border officers actually see.

Swiss Professional Secrecy: What It Actually Protects (and What It Does Not)

One of the strongest privilege regimes in the world, but not an absolute shield. A precise account of the boundary between what your Swiss lawyer can and cannot be compelled to disclose.

Crypto and the Swiss Bank: Why Even Legal Crypto Can Close Your Account

Swiss banks are not hostile to crypto in principle — but the compliance threshold is higher than most clients expect. What triggers scrutiny, and how to structure a disclosure that works.

Mutual Legal Assistance: The Invisible Request That Changes Everything

An MLA request is how one state asks another to gather evidence, freeze assets or question a witness. Most people never learn one exists against them — until a bank account closes or a document arrives.

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