If during your stay you are arrested, you should know that as a foreigner, you have the right to the presence of an interpreter during an interrogation. Immediately after your arrest, the police on your behalf will notify your embassy, and you might also choose to notify one of your relatives over the phone about your arrest. You also have the right to speak privately with a lawyer and to have him or her present during any questioning – be aware, however, that the lawyer cannot give you advice on how to answer a question that’s already been asked. Ensure that the police are following proper protocol: they must note the time and place of your arrest, and if they do not have a court-issued warrant, they are obliged to release you after 48 hours, or in some instances, in 72 hours. It would be wise to contact your embassy as soon as possible since they will often have somebody on hand to deal with such an emergency. If the state attorney is convinced that you might continue with the alleged crime, there is a probability that you might hide, you do not have a permanent address in the Czech Republic, or you are likely to be punished for a severe crime, the court might impose custody. If you are in custody, you have the right to be released on bail or if someone will accept a third-party guarantee. For foreign nationals, bail is usually the only option to get out of jail before the trial. Once in custody, only your lawyer can visit you at any time.
