Arrested in Zurich on an Extradition Request or Red Notice: First Steps and Which Court Decides

Who acts first at Zurich Airport?

The Zurich Cantonal Police carries out border checks at Zurich Airport. If a foreign alert appears during a document check, the police may act on a Swiss request or provisional-arrest process. Article 44 of the Federal Act on International Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (IMAC; German abbreviation IRSG, SR 351.1) permits the provisional arrest of a foreign national on the basis of a request from an INTERPOL National Central Bureau, a foreign ministry of justice, or an international alert in a police search system. The alert is not itself a final extradition decision.

A Red Notice asks police to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar action; INTERPOL says it is not an international arrest warrant. Swiss authorities apply Swiss law and the relevant treaty. The notice does not establish guilt or itself authorise transfer.

Zurich Airport lists a public police station in Check-in 2’s public area, open daily 05:30–21:30, telephone +41 58 648 50 50. The listing does not identify it as an extradition-custody desk or say where a detained person is held. A family member may call the published number to ask which authority is handling the arrest, but should confirm the actual custody location and contact rules with that authority.

First 48 hours: a practical plan, not a statutory deadline

Swiss extradition law does not create a universal “first 48 hours” hearing deadline for this airport scenario. The accessible English informational translation of IMAC Article 46(2) says provisional arrest and seizure measures continue until a decision on detention pending extradition, but no later than the third working day after arrest. The current official-language text controls; counsel should confirm the provision against the applicable text and written notices immediately. A working-day limit is not the same as 72 elapsed hours; weekends and public holidays can matter.

Where does the case go after an arrest in Zurich?

The route is federal, although the arrest and first hearing are local:

1. Zurich Airport / Kantonspolizei Zürich: police identify the person, act on the alert or provisional-arrest request and notify the FOJ; a cantonal authority conducts the IMAC hearing.
2. Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), Bern: it examines the request, issues the detention warrant where appropriate, considers release and normally makes the first-instance extradition decision. Under IMAC Article 55(2), if the person claims a political offence or the investigation reveals serious grounds to believe the offence is political, the Federal Criminal Court Appeals Chamber decides the extradition issue instead. There is no separate Zurich extradition court.
3. Federal Criminal Court, Appeals Chamber, Bellinzona: it hears the Article 48(2) appeal against the written warrant and normally the appeal against the FOJ's final decision.
4. Federal Supreme Court, Lausanne: further review is limited by Article 84 to “particularly important” cases. In 1C_214/2026 (29 April 2026), the Court again declined to hear an extradition appeal where the allegations relied on to show political persecution were insufficiently substantiated. That case is not Zurich-specific; it illustrates why a further appeal must never be assumed.

For the country-wide stages, legal grounds for refusal and detailed appeal strategy, see Extradition from Switzerland and How to Stop Extradition from Switzerland. The separate INTERPOL-data process is explained in What an INTERPOL Red Notice means and Red Notice removal and CCF representation.

If the arrest occurred at Geneva Airport instead, see the Geneva arrest guide for the local details.

Which deadline starts when the written warrant is served?

The accessible English informational translation of IMAC Article 48(2) gives a ten-day period from service to appeal the written extradition arrest warrant to the Appeals Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona. The current official-language text controls; ask counsel to confirm the provision and calculate the deadline from the actual service date. Keep the warrant and the envelope or electronic service record.

This is separate from the treaty-sensitive 18/40-day period for the formal request and the five-day notice / 30-day appeal that follow service of a final FOJ extradition decision. In 1C_768/2025 (5 January 2026), the Federal Supreme Court held that missing the European Convention’s 18/40-day period does not necessarily bar a later request or renewed detention. It is not a promise of release; the treaty relationship with the requesting state and the actual start of extradition detention matter. If the person was already detained, the accessible German-language reproduction of IMAC Article 50(2) states that the 18/40-day clock starts when the person is placed in extradition detention; counsel should confirm this against the current official-language text. Switzerland is party to the European Convention on Extradition; its recorded reservations and the treaty relationship with the requesting state must also be checked.

What should the family send now?

• The person's full name, date of birth, nationality, passport details and any identity mismatch.
• The arrest time and place, flight number if relevant, language spoken and authority involved.
• Scans of the written warrant, hearing record, service date, case number and appeal notice.
• Contact details for the chosen lawyer and, if requested, the consulate. FOJ guidance confirms the right to consular contact and to appoint a lawyer.
• Documents relevant to identity, health, residence, family ties or a concrete alibi. Send sensitive material to counsel, not the requesting state or social media.
• For an airport arrest, call the published police-station number to ask which authority is handling the case. Ask that authority to confirm the actual detention facility and the rules for calls, visits, medication and legal documents; do not assume the public counter is the custody location.

Do not visit an assumed prison: public information does not establish a standard Zurich facility for extradition detainees. Confirm placement with the authority handling the case.

A hypothetical example: a Red Notice appears at ZRH

Suppose a Georgian national arriving at Zurich Airport is stopped after a Red Notice linked to a foreign arrest warrant appears. The person should ask whether the Swiss authorities are acting on a provisional-arrest request and request counsel and an interpreter. The hearing establishes identity and explains the process; it is not a trial of the foreign charge. If the person opposes extradition, counsel should obtain the written FOJ warrant and calculate the ten-day appeal deadline from service. Waiving the regular extradition proceedings under Article 54 IMAC is a separate and consequential choice. The waiver may be revoked only before the FOJ orders surrender; do not assume it can be withdrawn after that order.

Because the deadlines can run quickly, seek advice from a Swiss extradition lawyer promptly. You may use the request form if you wish to ask about a specific case.