Handbook

Legalities

The Law Abroad

Keep in mind that while you are visiting another country you are subject to the laws of that country. Legal protection and personal rights that we take for granted in the U.S. are left behind when you depart. American Embassies and Consulates are very limited in the assistance they can provide. They can, for example, provide you with the names of competent attorneys and doctors, but they cannot provide you with any financial assistance in paying for legal or medical services nor can they intervene on your behalf in the administration of justice as seen from the point of view of the host country.

Keep in mind that bail provisions, as we know them in the U.S., are rare in other countries. Pre-trial detention without ball is quite common. Prison conditions are often deplorable in comparison with conditions in the U.S. The principle of "innocent until proven guilty" is not necessarily a tenet of the legal system abroad.

Fill out the Emergency Contact list (Appendix B). In case of emergency, do not hesitate to contact any and all people listed on this sheet.

Drugs/Illegal Substances

We cannot warn you strongly enough to avoid any possible involvement with drugs abroad. As stated earlier in this manual, drug laws vary from country to country and in many cases are extremely severe, regardless of whether the drug in your possession is for personal use or for sale to others. Bail is not granted for drug-trafficking cases in most countries. Pretrial detention, often in solitary confinement, may last for months. Few of those countries provide a jury trial, and in many cases you need not even be present at your trial. While it goes without saying that most prison and law enforcement officials abroad will probably not speak English, you cannot fully appreciate the significance of that fact until you are confined in what often can be conditions bordering on the primitive. The average jail sentence in drug cases worldwide is about seven years. In at least four countries (Iran, Algeria, Malaysia, and Turkey) the death penalty can be imposed for conviction on some drug charges.