Is it permissible for a person who has repented from committing past crimes in a non-Muslim country to deny the accusations leveled against him to avoid imprisonment, or must he confess? And what is the best course of action in this situation?

Sins are of two types: those related to the right of Allah, such as drinking alcohol, for which repentance suffices. If the matter is brought before a court, he may deny it to evade a punishment he does not deserve according to Islamic law. The second type relates to the right of a created being, such as murder and theft. For repentance from these, it is a condition to restore injustices to their rightful owners, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "(Whoever has committed an injustice against his brother, let him seek his forgiveness for it)." Thus, in intentional murder, one must surrender oneself to the guardians of the slain, and in accidental killing, pay blood money (diyyah), and in theft, return the stolen property. If a person repents from these crimes and knows that the court will impose an un-Islamic punishment on him, he may deny the crime to escape a punishment he does not deserve according to Islamic law. Determining whether a punishment is Islamic or not can only be judged by scholars after examining the type of offense.