A British citizen, Matthew Roy Desmond, faces between 8 and 12 years in prison in Georgia.
According to his lawyers, the Prosecutor’s Office has charged him under Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 262 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which concern the illegal importation of large quantities of narcotic and psychotropic substances into the country.
His legal representatives argue that the medication at the centre of the case had been legally prescribed by a doctor to manage chronic pain. They say Desmond is a war veteran who sustained a serious spinal injury.
“In reality, this man is completely innocent. He is a British citizen and a war veteran who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, where he received numerous awards. During one of his military deployments, he suffered a severe spinal injury. As a result, doctors in the UK officially prescribed these pain medications to enable him to live with his condition,” one of his lawyers said during a press conference at the Mtavari Media Centre.
The lawyer said that, as a veteran, Desmond had travelled to numerous countries carrying both the medication and the corresponding medical prescription. According to the defence, he had visited 25 countries without encountering any problems.
“However, after entering Georgia, he was arrested and has now spent approximately three months behind bars. I repeat: this man is completely innocent. He had the prescription for the exact medications he brought into Georgia. He was arrested simply because certain formal requirements had not been met — specifically, the prescription had not been notarised or apostilled. We have since obtained all the necessary documents, had them notarised, secured apostilles, translated them, and submitted them to both the Prosecutor’s Office and the court. Despite this, there has been absolutely no response, and he remains behind bars while suffering from a serious medical condition and severe pain,” the lawyer said.
The defence has called on the Prosecutor’s Office either to terminate the criminal prosecution through a diversion mechanism or to offer a reasonable plea agreement.
“Otherwise, we reserve the right to take other effective measures that will be damaging to the Prosecutor’s Office’s reputation.”
According to the lawyers, the case concerns three medications: pregabalin, buprenorphine, and codeine.
They argue that it is neither reasonable nor logical to claim that Desmond intentionally imported narcotic substances into Georgia with the intention of selling them or profiting from other illegal activities, as all three medications correspond exactly to those listed in his doctor’s prescription.
The lawyers also said that the British Embassy is actively involved in the case.
Netgazeti has contacted the Prosecutor’s Office for comment. The article will be updated if a response is received.
Cover photo: Radio Tavisupleba