Interpol gets request for ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's arrest

The international police agency Interpol said on Thursday that it has received a global alert request by Ukrainian authorities for the arrest of ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, Xinhua reported.

The request for an Interpol Red Notice, which charged Yanukovych for abuse of power and murder, was received on Wednesday and under assessment by Interpol to "determine whether it conforms with the organisation's constitution and rules", said the Lyon-based organisation in a statement.

All member countries of Interpol had been informed of the ongoing review and no further comment would be made by the General Secretariat "until this review is complete and member countries have been informed of Interpol's decision," the statement added.

Red Notices are one of the ways in which Interpol informs its member countries that an arrest warrant has been issued for an individual by a judicial authority.

A Red Notice seeks the location and arrest of wanted people with a view to extradition or similar lawful action. It is not an international arrest warrant, the Interpol official website shows.