We can help if a British citizen is arrested or detained overseas

British nationals in detention or prison overseas

If a relative or friend has been detained or held in prison overseas, this is the support we can give.

If your relative or friend has asked us to, we will tell you as soon as we can, that they have been detained or held in prison. However, to protect their confidentiality, we will not provide any details of the detention or arrest, or tell you how to contact them, unless they have given us permission.

Prison conditions

We can provide general information about the country involved, prison conditions and the local legal system.

We can put you in touch with the prisoners’ welfare charity, Prisoners Abroad.

If the prison where your friend or relative is being detained agrees, we can pass on any money you want to send to buy prison ‘comforts’, use the phone and so on.

In many countries, mail sent or received by the prisoner will be opened and read by the authorities, and phone conversations may be monitored.

If a relative or friend has been detained or held in prison overseas, we can give the following support.

If your relative or friend has asked to us to, we will tell you as soon as we can that they have been detained or held in prison. However, to protect their confidentiality, we will not provide any details of the detention or arrest, or tell you how to contact them, unless they have given us permission to.

We can provide general information about the country involved, prison conditions and local legal system.

We can put you in touch with prisoners’ welfare charity, Prisoners Abroad.
(www.prisonersabroad.org.uk).

If the prison where your friend or relative is being detained agrees, we can pass on any money you want to send to the prisoner to buy prison ‘comforts’, use the phone and so on.

You should be aware that, in many countries, mail sent or received by the prisoner will be opened and read by the authorities, and phone conversations may be monitored.

This leaflet has been prepared by the British Embassy in Ankara for the convenience of enquirers.  Although all care has been taken in it's production, neither Her Majesty's Government nor any Consular Official in the British Embassy in Ankara take any responsibility for it's precise accuracy or for the consequences of any action taken in accordance with it's contents.

June 2008