British citizen and war veteran Matthew Roy Desmond has spent nearly three months in detention in Georgia after being arrested on serious drug charges for carrying prescription painkillers that are classified as illegal under Georgian law, his lawyers said on July 8.
Desmond’s legal team and a report by RFE/RL’s Georgian Service says the 49-year-old was detained in late April while attempting to enter Georgia from Turkey on a motorcycle through a land border crossing.
His lawyers said Desmond, who has traveled to around 25 countries without previous issues, was carrying medication prescribed to treat a chronic spinal injury, including pregabalin, buprenorphine and codeine.
They said he had a valid medical prescription, but it was neither notarized nor accompanied by an apostille, as required under Georgian regulations. As a result, he was detained and now faces a prison sentence of between eight and 12 years if convicted.
Lawyers say the required apostille certification and official translations were obtained within weeks and submitted to prosecutors and the court by the end of May. Despite this, Desmond remains in custody at Tbilisi’s Gldani Prison, where his lawyers say he continues to suffer from back pain.
His legal team is seeking his release through a plea agreement, a legal mechanism that has been used in similar cases.
