Many Britons abroad think that the local death penalty cannot be applied to them. Most would not know what to do if they got arrested. Yet well-meaning Britons can indeed find themselves facing execution, even if they are innocent.
In this video, British Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff explain the pitfalls to avoid whilst abroad, and how they can help if you are arrested. Please watch it before you go. And remember:
1) An offence you might consider minor may nevertheless carry the death penalty.
For example, carrying the smallest amount of drugs can get you sentenced to death in many countries in Asia, and mitigating circumstances are not always taken into account. Reprieve-assisted prisoner Samantha Orobator was facing the death penalty in Laos whilst pregnant; Briton Akmal Shaikh was executed in China despite his pronounced mental illness.
2) You may be set up.
A seemingly banal personal dispute may be the beginning of a legal nightmare. Reprieve-assisted prisoner Shabbir Zaib was accused of murdering his wife whilst in Pakistan and was tortured by local police into 'confessing'. Only after 17 agonising months behind bars was Shabbir finally acquitted and released from prison.
3) Many death sentences may be averted by seeking immediate consular assistance.
Many people do not realize that they have a legal right to consular assistance from their country of nationality, which may include the provision of a decent defence lawyer. In the US alone, over 130 foreign nationals are facing the death penalty; yet many could have been avoided had the prisoner requested consular assistance as soon as they were arrested.
Reprieve currently assists over 40 prisoners with claims to European nationality across the US, but we know there are many more potential prisoners out there in the same position. Watch a video featuring British grandmother Linda Carty, facing execution in the US, and her family and lawyers explaining what went wrong in her case.
If you have a friend or a family member currently facing the death penalty, learn how Reprieve can help you. If you are arrested abroad, immediately request to contact Reprieve and see your local consular officials. It could be the difference between life and death.
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