Arrested in Bratislava: 48 hours, then the court's 48
Slovak procedure runs in two stages of 48 hours. A police officer may place you in custody where grounds for pre-trial detention exist and the decision cannot be obtained in advance; the prosecutor must then file the motion within 48 hours, and the court must decide within 48 more — 72 in cases of especially grave crimes, and 96 hours for the motion in terrorism cases.
The Slovak clock
| Step | Rule | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Police custody | Where grounds exist and the decision cannot be obtained in advance | You must be questioned without delay |
| Prosecutor's motion | Within 48 hours | 96 hours for terrorism offences |
| Court decision | Within 48 hours | 72 hours for especially grave crimes |
| Telephone call | 20 minutes, to a person you specify | A stated entitlement |
| Lawyer | Right to choose one and to have them present at questioning | Confidential once in detention |
| Right to silence | You must be advised of it before questioning | No one may force a confession |
The twenty-minute call is a real entitlement and it is the fastest way to get a lawyer instructed. Use it for that rather than for reassurance: the family can be told afterwards, by the lawyer.
What actually happens in Bratislava
- Stag and group weekends. Bratislava receives a large volume of them, and a single incident regularly produces several suspects whose accounts contradict each other.
- Nightlife in the old town: fights, public order, intoxication, and disputes with venues over bills.
- The Austrian and Hungarian borders, minutes away, producing customs, cash and vehicle cases.
- The Danube, with freight and passenger traffic.
- Drink driving, where Slovakia applies a zero tolerance approach that surprises visitors.
- Drugs, prosecuted more strictly than in western Europe.
The zero tolerance point on alcohol is worth stating plainly: there is no permitted level for driving, so a single drink is enough. Visitors from countries with a threshold assume there is one here.
Where an Italian lawyer comes in
Only a lawyer admitted in Slovakia can appear before its courts. What an Italian lawyer does is the other half: selecting and briefing that lawyer, explaining the position to the family in their own language, and handling anything with an Italian end — a parallel proceeding, a European Arrest Warrant issued by Italy, an alert in circulation. The arrangement is described in how a correspondent case is run, and the surrender framework in the guide on the European Arrest Warrant.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I be held in Slovakia?
The prosecutor must file the motion for detention within forty-eight hours, and the court must then decide within forty-eight more, or seventy-two for especially grave crimes.
Can I make a phone call?
Yes, a twenty-minute call to a person you specify. The fastest use of it is to get a lawyer instructed.
Is there a drink driving limit?
Slovakia applies zero tolerance for driving: there is no permitted level, so a single drink is enough.
Several of us were involved.
Attribution has to be established for each person. Accounts agreed between suspects are the fastest route to a further charge.
If this is happening now
First contact is free and covered by professional privilege, at any hour including nights and holidays.