Overview

• Defense and prosecution told the Tbilisi court that plea negotiations are progressing, with the defense saying she could leave custody immediately if her family pays the sum requested by the state.
• Her mother said the family has been presented with tiered options tied to a significant payment and described the demanded amount as a vast sum they are struggling to meet.
• Judge Giorgi Gelashvili denied bail and kept the 19-year-old in pre-trial detention, with the court indicating it can reconvene at once if an agreement is finalized.
• Culley is about 22 weeks pregnant and faces charges of importing and possessing large quantities of cannabis and hashish, offenses that can carry decades to life in prison under Georgian law.
• She alleges she was coerced and tortured by a gang in Southeast Asia, a claim prosecutors say they will contest, citing airport CCTV they argue contradicts her account.