After a lengthy procedure, the General Secretariat of Interpol has decided to issue an international arrest warrant for Alexandre Benalla, the former head of personal security for French President Emmanuel Macron. In April 2025, he was added to the organisation's international database under a "Red Notice," and corresponding notifications were sent to all member states.

Alexandre Benalla and Emmanuel Macron

As Caliber.Az has learned from reliable sources, the basis for this decision was a legal request submitted in 2024 as part of a criminal case being investigated by the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Alexandre Benalla and Anass Derraz, the vice president of the French corporation SAUR, which has a multi-billion-dollar turnover, are accused of receiving large bribes and committing other crimes. Derraz is currently in Azerbaijan and has been brought to justice.

Anass Derraz

The investigation revealed that in 2018, they accepted a substantial bribe in exchange for promising to assist in lifting international sanctions on the assets of Russian billionaire of Azerbaijani origin, Farhad Akhmedov.

As previously reported by foreign and local media, French officials allegedly demanded a bribe from Farhad Akhmedov, promising to help secure the release of his luxury yacht "Luna" from international seizure and to shield him from sanctions. Available information indicates that part of the funds was transferred to Anass Derraz’s account at Al Hilal Bank, as well as to Alexandre Benalla’s account at Bank of Africa United Kingdom PLC SC PAR.

Anass Derraz, now under the authority of the investigative bodies, has been charged in Azerbaijan. A travel ban has been imposed on him. Meanwhile, an official request was sent to Interpol to issue an international arrest warrant for Alexandre Benalla.

The decision to issue a "Red Notice" — one of Interpol's strictest mechanisms — against Alexandre Benalla indicates that Azerbaijani authorities possess irrefutable evidence supporting the seriousness of the charges. According to established procedure, a "Red Notice" provides for the arrest of the individual in the country where they are located and their extradition to the requesting state.

According to available information, Alexandre Benalla is currently involved in extradition proceedings in a third country.

Meanwhile, an open court trial against Anass Derraz in Baku is expected to begin soon. Experts believe that the publication of materials related to this international corruption case could provoke widespread public outcry and trigger new high-profile scandals.

Source: caliber.az