Key Highlights
- Bella Culley, an 18-year-old British teenager eight months pregnant, is in pre-trial detention in Rustavi Prison Number Five, Georgia.
- Culley faces a possible sentence of two years for smuggling 12kg (26lb) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4lb) of hashish into the country.
- Conditions in the prison have improved since earlier reports, allowing Culley to cook for herself and others and take walks outside her cell.
- The Georgian Ministry of Justice stated that conditions significantly improved after reforms, including vocational education programs and better healthcare.
Pregnant Teenager Held in Georgian Prison
Bella Culley, an 18-year-old British teenager who is eight months pregnant, has been detained in Rustavi Prison Number Five in Georgia since May. Charged with smuggling 12kg (26lb) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4lb) of hashish into the country via her hold luggage at Tbilisi International Airport, Culley faces a possible sentence of two years in jail.
Prison Conditions
The conditions inside Rustavi Prison Number Five have reportedly improved since earlier reports by Anastasia Zinovkina, who described sanitary issues and limited access to basic amenities. Now, Culley is allowed to cook for herself and other women and children in the “mother and baby” unit of the prison, which marks a significant change from her initial cell.
Lyanne Kennedy, Culley’s mother, states that her daughter has been able to take two hours out for walking daily. She can also use the communal kitchen and has access to a proper toilet in her room, as well as a shower in the unit. The family hopes these improved conditions will help during this difficult time.
Legal Proceedings and Plea Bargaining
Culley’s case has drawn attention due to its timing with a new interior minister prioritizing drug crimes. Her lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, claims that Culley was tortured by gangsters who forced her to carry the drugs. However, Salakaia also confirms that she pleaded guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence.
Back in Tbilisi City Court last Tuesday, it was revealed that Culley’s family had managed to raise £137,000.
While this amount did not fully secure her release, it significantly reduced her sentence to two years. The teenager is due back in court on Monday for the final sentencing.
Human Rights and Legal Appeals
Malkhaz Salakaia has previously stated that he will appeal to the President of Georgia to pardon Culley based on her pregnancy. The Georgian Ministry of Justice claims that conditions in prisons have significantly improved since earlier monitoring reports, highlighting reforms such as vocational education programs and better healthcare.
Despite these improvements, concerns remain about the strict approach to drug-related offenses and the extensive use of plea bargaining.
For trafficking involving large amounts of drugs, Georgian law provides for sentences of up to 20 years or life imprisonment, with nearly 90% of drug cases resolved through such agreements in 2024.
As Culley awaits her final sentence, her family continues its efforts to secure her release and return home, where she should be. The case highlights the complex legal landscape surrounding drug smuggling charges and the impact on young offenders, particularly pregnant women like Bella Culley.
