Marco, the 17 year old boy from Germany who has been in prison in Turkey now for 7 months is not an exception.

I am just watching something on tv about tourists all over the world that got arrested for various reasons.

One guy bought a sort of stone on a market in some town center somewhere in Turkey....when he wanted to fly back home after his holidays he got arrested as this was an antique stone from some antique building. After 1,5 months he was released because of the pressure of the German government.

There are hundreds of this or similiar stories though ... and a lot of people end up in prison for 10 years or even longer - for nothing or only small delicts.

Did you know you have to pay about 10,000 Euros as a fine if you buy a fake watch or handbad in Italy?

So be careful when you go on holiday - especially to Turkey.

No.

And lets not forget Sudan where making fun of Muhamed can get you 40 lashes of the whip, six months in jail or a massive fine.

And in the USA when waiting to board your plane home at the airport never joke that your luggage contains a bomb as one woman who did this was arrested and threatened with two years in jail.