Bella Culley, a 19-year-old British national, is eight months pregnant and currently incarcerated in Georgia, South Caucasus, facing drug smuggling charges. Her family has paid a significant sum, approximately £137,000, which is expected to reduce her two-year sentence.
After five months in challenging conditions at Rustavi Prison Number Five, Culley has been transferred to a “mother and baby” unit. Her mother, Lyanne Kennedy, shared that during her initial time in prison, her daughter resorted to boiling pasta in a kettle and toasting bread over a candle flame. The unit she is now in offers improved living conditions, including a private shower, a proper toilet, and two hours of daily outdoor time. The mother expressed that her daughter is managing well, learning Georgian, and has been actively participating in cooking for fellow inmates in the unit.
Culley was detained in May after authorities found 12kg of marijuana and 2kg of hashish in her luggage at Tbilisi International Airport. While she claims she was coerced and tortured by gangsters, the Georgian justice system has strict drug laws, with plea bargaining being a common method to resolve cases. Experts suggest that the authorities prioritized drug crimes, and Culley’s case was handled swiftly to demonstrate tangible results.
Malkhaz Salakaia, Culley’s lawyer, stated that she pleaded guilty to drug trafficking but insisted she was forced into it. He also mentioned that a separate investigation into her coercion allegations has been launched. The family hopes that due to her pregnancy, Culley might be released before giving birth, as Georgian law allows for mothers and infants to remain outside prison until the child is one year old.