In the event of arrest in a foreign country, the Italian citizen has the right to request for consular assistance. At the request of the interested party, the Diplomatic-Consular Representation can:
- visit the detainee;
- provide the names of local lawyers of reference;
- maintain contacts with family members, with the expressed consent of the prisoner;
- ensure medical assistance and comfort items for the prisoner, when necessary and permitted by local regulations;
- favor the transfer to Italy, if the compatriot is detained in countries adhering to the Strasbourg Convention on the transfer of prisoners of 1983 or with which bilateral agreements are in force;
- intervene, in particular cases, to support requests for pardon presented by the concerned person or by his lawyer.
The Consulate cannot intervene in court on behalf of the compatriot and / or bear the legal costs. For more information on the assistance provided by Embassies and Consulates to compatriots detained abroad and their families, you can consult the Practical Guide to Consular Assistance.