The process of international arrest warrants: What is next for Riad Salameh?

An arrest warrant for the Central Bank of Lebanon Governor, Riad Salameh, has been received by the Beirut office of Interpol, which France issued. This means that the notice has been circulated through the Red Notice system.

Salameh has not been officially informed of the notice yet. So, how does the notification and execution process work?

If the governor is to be treated like any other individual wanted under an international arrest warrant, the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation should summon Salameh to inform him of the content of the notice. His passport would be confiscated, and he would be prohibited from traveling. Until then, Salameh retains the freedom to move through Beirut's airport.

What does it mean for a warrant to become an international arrest warrant?

The warrant is sent through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to the local offices in the member countries of Interpol's 195 member states.

Once the warrant is circulated, the wanted individual is immediately arrested upon arrival at any land, sea, or air entry point in these countries.

As for countries not members of Interpol, they number six, with North Korea being the most prominent, and the rest mainly consisting of islands.

In the case of the governor today, is Lebanon obligated to extradite him to the French authorities due to an international arrest warrant?

Lebanon will await a request for Salameh's extradition from the French judiciary. If such a request is received, the Lebanese judiciary will request access to the file in order to proceed with his trial in Lebanon because the country does not extradite its citizens, as stipulated by Lebanese penal law.