Foreign police and intelligence agencies detain persons for a myriad of reasons or for no other reason than suspicion or curiosity. The best advice is to exercise good judgment, be professional in your demeanor, and remember these suggestions:
Ask to contact the nearest embassy or consulate representing your country. As a citizen of another country you have this right, but that does not mean that your hosts will allow you to do so right away. Continue to make the request periodically until they accede and let you contact your embassy or consulate.
Stay calm, maintain your dignity, and do not provoke the arresting officer(s).
Admit nothing; volunteer nothing.
Sign nothing. Often, part of the detention procedure is to ask or tell the detained to sign a written report. Decline politely until such time as the document is examined by an attorney or an embassy or consulate representative.
Accept no one at face value. When the representative from the embassy or consulate arrives, request some identification before discussing your situation.
Do not fall for the ruse of helping those detaining you in return for your release. They can be very imaginative in their proposals on how you can be of assistance to them. Do not sell yourself out by agreeing to anything. If there appears to be no other way out, tell them that you will think it over and let them know. Once out of their hands, contact the affiliate or your embassy for assistance in getting out of the country.
