Dirty Work

Episode Two: Hijacked

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Episode notes

In this episode, Sahar Zand continues to follow Brian Glendinning's story - whose Interpol Red Notice raises significant questions about how the system works.

Brian found himself in a dangerous prison in a country he'd never been to - because of a small amount of debt in Qatar. His case poses bigger questions about what kind of justice Interpol Red Notices serve.

Sahar also speaks to Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock who has undertaken a series of reforms to try to make it harder for wrongful Red Notices to get through the net.

In a rare interview, he explains why it was his priority to reform a system that had let so many people down. Sahar asks how wrongful notices still get through, and why the reforms have not gone far enough to protect some innocent people from detention and extradition.

Interpol expert Ted Bromund explores how the Red Notice system began and how it evolved from the story of two plane hijackings in the 1970s. We look at Interpol's governance system, and the opportunities and pitfalls that presents for the integrity of the system.

Sahar visits Grant, a British Army veteran, who is rebuilding his life in London, after losing everything in Qatar following a Red Notice. Grant talks about the pain of knowing you aren't guilty, and losing everything anyway.

And she speaks to Radha Sterling, the activist who has helped Brian Glendinning try to navigate the system to fight their wrongful Red Notices, and try to rebuild their lives.

Presenter: Sahar Zand
Producer: Heidi Pett
Senior Producer: Sarah Burke
Sound Designer: James Bradshaw
Editor: Paul Stanworth