The Center for Public Integrity

An investigation by Al Jazeera television found that strict prescription drug laws in developing countries, intended to prevent the illicit trade in narcotics, are also cutting sick people off from pain medication.

Santiago-based Centro de Investigación Periodística found that the Chilean tax system favors mining companies through low taxes and generous incentives for business development, resulting in big profits for the companies.

The Detroit Free Press reported an alleged misuse of funds by the city's Human Services Department. It reportedly opted to spend $200,000, intended to feed and clothe the poor, on luxurious office furniture. 

“Investigations Around the World” is a regular ICIJ feature designed to showcase great investigative reporting across the globe. We are always looking for stories to highlight, so please send your links to investigations@icij.org.

The uprisings of the Arab spring have brought renewed attention to long-standing accusations that  kleptocratic regimes throughout  the Middle East have plundered their nations’ assets. But recovering those assets — though crucial to the future of these impoverished nations — remains a daunting challenge, according to a recently released report.

Crime, corruption, and tax evasion by the global elite cost between $1 trillion and $1.6 trillion and hit poor countries especially hard, says the study, “Barriers to Asset Recovery.” Yet in the past 15 years, only $5 billion in stolen assets have been repatriated. The report offers advice to policymakers aimed at increasing that lowly rate of return. It was produced by the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR), a joint project of the World Bank Group and the Office on Drugs and Crime at the United Nations (U.N.).

The problem, says Raymond Baker, the director of Global Financial Integrity, a financial watchdog group, is that even in nations like Switzerland that have changed procedures and rules to reduce bank secrecy, “it’s not entirely clear” how foreign governments can get stolen assets back.

There is no arguing the need for Interpol. Police cooperation between nations is vital for hampering illicit trade in drugs, weapons, people and other illegal activity across borders.

At its root there is a basic premise — that Interpol’s member states subscribe to common values and mores and should not abuse the tremendous power over individual rights given to the organization by virtue of its status as a worldwide police dragnet. But that isn’t the case. Countries that are recognized as chronic violators of human rights, like Russia, Iran and Venezuela should not merit the same credibility as other member states in their use of Interpol.

There is substantial evidence that these rogue states are abusing international agreements, originally designed to control crime, to pursue regime opponents and persecute targeted individuals. Extradition requests, which often have little chance of success but guarantee a prolonged confinement without charges (minimum 40 days in Europe), are becoming more common. And the Interpol Red Notice, which creates a virtual prison around its subject, preventing travel outside the country of residence, is the coup de grace in the arsenal of these abusers.

When Iranian political activist Rasoul Mazrae sought shelter from his own government, he fled, headed for Norway via Syria.

He was followed by a petition from Iranian officials that Interpol, the international police agency, list him as a fugitive. Despite the United Nations recognizing him as a political refugee, the same Syrian government that today is cracking down on its own dissidents used that Interpol alert to deport Mazrae to Iran in 2006.

Mazrae was jailed for two years. His family told a UN rapporteur he was tortured to the point of paralysis, had blood in his urine and lost all of his teeth.

Mazrae was sentenced to death, and human rights observers lost track of him. “We are not aware that his death penalty has been carried out, but we cannot be absolutely sure,” said James Lynch of Amnesty International.

What Syria and Iran used to go after Mazrae was an Interpol "Red Notice." This system of notices, little known outside legal circles, is being exploited for political purposes by some of the 188 member nations that belong to the 88-year-old international police cooperation agency.  

Interpol’s primary purpose is to help police hunt down murderers and war criminals, child sex offenders and wildlife poachers.  But a five-month investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists shows a little-known side to Interpol's work:  In cases from countries such as Iran, Russia, Venezuela and Tunisia, Interpol Red Notices are not only being used for legitimate law enforcement purposes, but to round up political opponents of notorious regimes.

Tanzania’s The Guardian revealed the alleged theft of U.S. $33 million from a Tanzanian bank by a shell company and a subsequent cover-up by government officials believed to have been attempting to hide their involvement in the scheme.

Croatian journalist Kruno Kartus uncovered the uncontrolled sale and use of toxic pesticides in Croatian agriculture. His story was honored with the annual Velebitska Degenija award by the Croatian Journalists’ Association.

The Salt Lake Tribune chronicles the story of two employees from the Department of Workforce Services who appear to have conspired in creating a list of state assistance recipients they suspected of being undocumented immigrants. The state workers planned to hand the list to immigration officials.