In a dramatic international rescue mission, a heavily pregnant British woman has been freed from a notorious Georgian prison after her family mounted a desperate campaign to pay a staggering £6,000 fine.
Bella Culley, who is five months pregnant, found herself trapped in a legal nightmare after being arrested for cannabis possession during what should have been a routine holiday in the former Soviet state.
The Desperate Phone Call Home
The 32-year-old's ordeal began with a frantic phone call to her mother in Surrey, revealing she'd been detained and faced up to eleven years in Georgia's harsh prison system.
"It was every parent's worst nightmare," her mother recounted. "Hearing your daughter's voice trembling from a foreign jail, knowing she's carrying your grandchild and completely powerless."
Race Against Time
With Bella's pregnancy advancing and conditions in the Tbilisi prison deteriorating, her family launched a frantic fundraising effort. They managed to gather the enormous sum through a combination of loans and draining their life savings.
"The system felt designed to extort money from foreigners," a family friend revealed. "They knew a pregnant Western woman would have family who could pay."
Freedom at Last
After weeks of bureaucratic delays and mounting anxiety, the payment was finally accepted. Bella walked free from the prison gates, emotionally and physically exhausted but overwhelmingly relieved.
"I can't describe the fear of being pregnant in that place," Bella shared after her release. "The conditions were unimaginable, and I worried constantly about my baby's health."
A Warning to Other Travellers
The case highlights the extreme dangers British tourists face in countries with zero-tolerance drug policies. Despite cannabis being legal in many Western nations, possession in Georgia can carry decade-long sentences.
Bella's family are now campaigning for better awareness about foreign drug laws and more consular support for Britons caught in similar situations.
As Bella recovers at home with her family, she's focusing on her health and the safe arrival of her baby – a happy ending to what could have been an unimaginable tragedy.
