Overview

• Bella May Culley appeared in Tbilisi City Court on July 24, where judges refused a £13,500 bail surety and ordered her to remain in pre-trial detention.
• Court records revealed the 19-year-old is expecting a baby boy and raised concerns about her access to prenatal care at Women’s Penitentiary No. 5.
• Georgian prosecutors accuse her of trying to smuggle 12 kg of cannabis and 2 kg of hashish into the country when she was arrested at Tbilisi International Airport in May.
• Culley has pleaded not guilty, insisting she was tortured and coerced by a Thailand-based criminal network and forced to carry the drugs.
• Authorities have launched an investigation to identify potential accomplices in the smuggling operation.