The main rights
- To know what the suspicion is; the decision on the detention is announced at once, and the rights are explained.
- To refuse to give evidence. A suspect carries no duty to give evidence or to prove that he is innocent.
- To have a defence lawyer from the moment of the actual detention, and to meet him in private.
- To telephone or tell a lawyer or a close relative about the detention and the place of detention.
- To ask for an interrogation not later than 24 hours after the detention.
- To appeal against the acts and the decisions of the inquiry officer, the investigator, the prosecutor and the court.
What matters in practice
Your evidence can be used against you, and they must warn you about this. Do not sign the record before you read it. Write in the parts you do not agree with. Do not trust the promise "we will correct it later" — a signed record becomes evidence.
The lawyer
Under article 225 of the Criminal Procedure Code, from the moment of the actual detention you get a private meeting with a defence lawyer before the procedural acts. Until the lawyer comes, you can give no evidence — that is your right. A lawyer who gives legal aid at the cost of the state is brought in under the procedure set by the Law "On legal aid at the cost of the state" (article 50). For minors, for suspects in a very serious crime and in some other cases a defence lawyer must take part (article 51).