Hundreds of Britons in foreign jails over drug offences

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25027815

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More than 850 Britons are locked up in overseas prisons for drug-related offences, serving sentences of up to 39 years, the Foreign Office has said.

Many are held for months without trial and face poor conditions, it said.

It highlighted the issue with charity Prisoners Abroad as part of a campaign warning against the use, possession and smuggling of drugs around the world.

Last year, consular staff handled some 650 drug-related cases, a figure the FCO wants to "reduce significantly".

The FCO said the zero-tolerance approach of certain countries towards drugs and the tough penalties they impose can come as a shock to some British travellers.

Overseas, offences that may carry cautions in the UK are often penalised with long prison sentences, while in 33 countries or territories some drug offences carry the death sentence, it warned.

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Prisoners Abroad said it was supporting 80 Britons, aged between 18 and 30, who were being held in foreign countries for drugs offences.

Two thirds of these are still awaiting trial while others are serving sentences from a year to nearly 39 years, it said.

Consular affairs minister Mark Simmonds said: "People continue to be astonished at some of the penalties handed down for certain crimes overseas. In some countries possessing small amounts of marijuana can lead to decades in prison.

"Laws, penalties and sentences vary considerably around the world for the use, possession and trafficking of all types of drugs. When it comes to drugs our message is clear - don't take risks, the consequences are simply not worth it."

Prisoners Abroad chief executive Pauline Crowe said: "In many countries, men and women find themselves without access to food, clean water and the most basic of medical care.

"We urge people to consider the unsanitary conditions, overcrowded cells and the constant threat of disease before they get involved in drugs. They may have to live through these conditions for many, many years."