MovieChat Forums > The English Patient (1996) Discussion > Could Almasy have been legally arrested?

Could Almasy have been legally arrested?


One thing I don't understand is why the military authorities thought they could arrest Almasy for treason, if they found him. He was Hungarian and Hungary fought on the side of the Axis during the war. Was their justification the fact that he worked for the British National Geographic Society? In other words, does working in a foreign country make one a traitor if you give away their secrets? I hope I'm explaining this right; it's rather confusing.

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Probably not for treason, but for espionage or spying, which usually carries the same penalty: death

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Good answer, thank you!

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"legally arrested" - as opposed to illegally arrested?

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^ Lots of people are "illegally arrested", just to be held

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