A dramatic and emotional scene unfolded in a Georgian courtroom as 19-year-old Bella Culley, pregnant and facing decades in a foreign prison, learned she would be going free. Culley, a British student, has been in custody since May after being arrested at Tbilisi International Airport with a large quantity of drugs in her suitcase. The news of her release, facilitated by a last-minute plea deal, prompted an overwhelmed Culley to embrace her lawyer, marking the end of a terrifying seven-month ordeal.
The case had taken a dire turn as Culley, now 35 weeks pregnant, faced the very real possibility of giving birth behind bars. The charges of drug trafficking carried a potential 20-year sentence. However, prosecutors ultimately showed leniency, agreeing to a plea bargain that considered her status as a young, expectant mother. Her lawyer, Malkhaz Salakaia, confirmed that these factors were pivotal in the decision to release her, sparing her from a Christmas spent in prison with a newborn.
Culley’s journey to this point has been fraught with fear and confusion. Her family had lost contact with her while she was supposedly traveling in Thailand, only to be shocked by the news that she was under arrest in Georgia, a country thousands of miles away. Throughout the proceedings, Culley has maintained that she is not a willing drug smuggler but a victim, claiming she was tortured and threatened into carrying the drugs.
The emotional weight of the situation was evident from the beginning. After her first court appearance, her lawyer described her as “terrified and confused, kind of lost.” Now, with her freedom secured and a new legal team set to take over, the focus can shift to her health, the birth of her child, and her eventual return home, closing a harrowing chapter in her young life.
