British Bella May Culley 18, missing from Thailand, arrested in Georgia, May 2025

[Bigditch]

No, it wouldn't. Georgian citizenship is based on jus sanguinis, ie the law of blood.

1. Acquiring Georgian citizenship by birth

• a person, at whose birth one of his/her parents is a Georgian citizen;
• a person born on the territory of Georgia through extracorporeal fertilization (surrogacy), if the country of citizenship of neither of his/her parents recognises this person as its citizen;
• a child born in the territory of Georgia to persons having a status of stateless person in Georgia;
• a person born on the territory of Georgia, one of whose parents has a status of a stateless person in Georgia and the other parent is unknown.

<p>Georgian citizens are equal before the law regardless of race, color of skin, language, sex, religion, political or other opinions, national, ethnic, and social affiliation, origin, property or social status, place of residence, or any other chara

<p>Georgian citizens are equal before the law regardless of race, color of skin, language, sex, religion, political or other opinions, national, ethnic, and social affiliation, origin, property or social status, place of residence, or any other characteristics. Georgian citizens shall be...

stateless.ge

The baby will however automatically receive British citizenship by being born to a British parent outside the UK.

Apply for citizenship if you have a British parent

Apply for British citizenship if you have a British parent - who's eligible, fees and how to apply

www.gov.uk

Law of blood. Interesting phrase.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Law of blood. Interesting phrase.

Not really. There are two main approaches to acquiring citizenship of a country at birth.

One (jus sanguinis and leges sanguinis) is that you can be born almost anywhere providing one of your parents is a citizen of the relevant country. Jus sanguinis - Wikipedia /

The other (jus soli) is that citizenship is gained simply by being born in the country of that citizenship and can be exploited for birth tourism. Jus soli - Wikipedia

In practice it can be complicated as some countries either operate a hybrid system or have changed the basis for claiming citizenship over time with some legacy provisions in place.

 

[Lucy6226]

No, it wouldn't. Georgian citizenship is based on jus sanguinis, ie the law of blood.

1. Acquiring Georgian citizenship by birth

• a person, at whose birth one of his/her parents is a Georgian citizen;
• a person born on the territory of Georgia through extracorporeal fertilization (surrogacy), if the country of citizenship of neither of his/her parents recognises this person as its citizen;
• a child born in the territory of Georgia to persons having a status of stateless person in Georgia;
• a person born on the territory of Georgia, one of whose parents has a status of a stateless person in Georgia and the other parent is unknown.

<p>Georgian citizens are equal before the law regardless of race, color of skin, language, sex, religion, political or other opinions, national, ethnic, and social affiliation, origin, property or social status, place of residence, or any other chara

<p>Georgian citizens are equal before the law regardless of race, color of skin, language, sex, religion, political or other opinions, national, ethnic, and social affiliation, origin, property or social status, place of residence, or any other characteristics. Georgian citizens shall be...

stateless.ge

The baby will however automatically receive British citizenship by being born to a British parent outside the UK.

Apply for citizenship if you have a British parent

Apply for British citizenship if you have a British parent - who's eligible, fees and how to apply

www.gov.uk

Fab so baby will have British Nationality. Therefore child services will be able to support family in looking after the baby once born. MOO

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Fab so baby will have British Nationality. Therefore child services will be able to support family in looking after the baby once born. MOO

That assumes that the Georgian authorities are prepared to release it to the UK authorities immediately following the birth. This is outside my personal experience but I am under the impression that it's not at all good for a baby to be removed immediately from its mother. There's a very good chance, therefore, that the baby will remain with its mother for quite some time.

 

[Cedars]

That assumes that the Georgian authorities are prepared to release it to the UK authorities immediately following the birth. This is outside my personal experience but I am under the impression that it's not at all good for a baby to be removed immediately from its mother. There's a very good chance, therefore, that the baby will remain with its mother for quite some time.

I agree, babies only need mothers arms, breast and soothing voice. They don't emerge from her womb able to just swim away, like fishes.

JMO

ETA: I also think Georgia officials may release her on compassionate grounds when the baby is older. But they can't release her too soon, because the drug smugglers who paid her will just start recruiting pregnant women, telling them they'll get out of jail quickly if caught.

 

[Lucy6226]

I agree, babies only need mothers arms, breast and soothing voice. They don't emerge from her womb able to just swim away, like fishes.

JMO

ETA: I also think Georgia officials may release her once on compassionate grounds when the baby is older. But they can't release her too soon, because the drug smugglers who paid her will just start using pregnant women, telling them they'll get out of jail quickly if caught.

I agree best place for babies is with mum. I guess it depends on the conditions where mum and baby would stay whilst she serves her sentence. It simply might not be safe for baby to remain with her.

 

[bobbymkii]

215K pounds?
Is it like the price of a house in the UK?

My parents own a 4 bedroom semi-detached house in Billingham (I’m actually driving up to visit them for the weekend tomorrow ) and it’s worth about £170k.

 

[Cedars]

I agree best place for babies is with mum. I guess it depends on the conditions where mum and baby would stay whilst she serves her sentence. It simply might not be safe for baby to remain with her.

I don't know much about Georgia. Are the prisons really bad? Facilities for women are usually much better than for men.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I agree, babies only need mothers arms, breast and soothing voice. They don't emerge from her womb able to just swim away, like fishes.

JMO

ETA: I also think Georgia officials may release her on compassionate grounds when the baby is older. But they can't release her too soon, because the drug smugglers who paid her will just start recruiting pregnant women, telling them they'll get out of jail quickly if caught.

good point. And if it CAN happen, it will happen.

 

[Cedars]

Can anyone simply buy their way out of jail/prison in Georgia? Is that how the system works?

It sound like in this case they're offering her the option of paying a fine. Because she's a foreigner/pregnant.

It's not unknown in my country, if you can't pay a fine eg car accident or fraud, you have to serve jail/community service time.

IMO, they make the fine large to deter others. This case is getting a lot of publicity, I hope it works.

ETA: I wonder if her bosses paid her in advance...

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1976255798264111134

"The next hearing is scheduled for 28 October."

 

[Kittypoo]

215K pounds?
Is it like the price of a house in the UK?

Not in the South Uk would be way more

 

[Dotta]

The business must go on

(Thailand again & nearly the same worth of drugs)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1977004577837756692

"Clara, one of a string of young British women
to fall foul of the law in airport drug busts in recent months,
accepted a three-year prison sentence
and a fine matching the estimated value of the cannabis she tried to smuggle into Spain
of £185,000."

So, she will have to pay + stay in prison.

Bella also features in this report hehe

Is it my imagination
or there is similarity in their facial expressions?

Not to mention circumstances heehee

JMO

 

[tara83]

So basically she is getting away with everything. Must be nice.

 

[Cedars]

So basically she is getting away with everything. Must be nice.

IMO, she was just a mule.

The established criminals who exploited her youth and stupidity, supplied her the drugs and promised her a relative pittance compared with the millions they'd make off it, remain unthreatened and untouched, enjoying their fabulous wealth and snearing at us all: there's plenty more where she came from, and unlimited numbers of eager consumers.

IMO, they are the ones actively engaging in destroying civilization. This twit was just a wannabe influencer.

JMO

 

[wtiger]

oh christ!.....don't be so naive!!!.............she knew EXACTLY what she was involving herself in - she just didn't bargain on getting caught

she did the crime and should do the time - parents are the ones who get my sympathy

 

[Cedars]

oh christ!.....don't be so naive!!!.............she knew EXACTLY what she was involving herself in - she just didn't bargain on getting caught

she did the crime and should do the time - parents are the ones who get my sympathy

I'm not naive, I'm looking at the bigger picture.

ETA, in the west, sophisticated police operations try to take down the whole smuggling ring, especially the cartel leaders. They don't care much about catching and punishing every mule.

 

[Kittypoo]

The business must go on

(Thailand again & nearly the same worth of drugs)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1977004577837756692

"Clara, one of a string of young British women
to fall foul of the law in airport drug busts in recent months,
accepted a three-year prison sentence
and a fine matching the estimated value of the cannabis she tried to smuggle into Spain
of £185,000."

So, she will have to pay + stay in prison.

View attachment 619254

Bella also features in this report hehe

Is it my imagination
or there is similarity in their facial expressions?

Not to mention circumstances heehee

JMO

Model my a**e

 

[Bigditch]

IMO, she was just a mule.

The established criminals who exploited her youth and stupidity, supplied her the drugs and promised her a relative pittance compared with the millions they'd make off it, remain unthreatened and untouched, enjoying their fabulous wealth and snearing at us all: there's plenty more where she came from, and unlimited numbers of eager consumers.

IMO, they are the ones actively engaging in destroying civilization. This twit was just a wannabe influencer.

JMO

That response sure packs a punch. Love it!

 

[Dotta]

Update

Two-year prison deal in Georgia
and £140,000 fine.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1983085891045163233

"Prosecutor Vakhtang Tsalugelashvili told Tbilisi City Court:
'The plea bargain has been reached,
our conditions have been met
– two years of imprisonment
and a fine of 500,000 Georgian Lari'.

Mr Salakaia, defending, said:
'I can confirm.
All relevant parties have been informed as well.
We would like to ask the judge to schedule one final hearing to pass the final verdict'.

She waved to her mother as she was led off.
Lawyers confirmed afterwards
that had the family paid the full amount,
the teenager could have been freed immediately.

Sentencing is scheduled
for 2 pm local time next Monday."


Another link:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1983095978472153474

"Bella pleaded guilty today,
asking the judge if she could take her baby with her when she goes to prison.

Judge Gelashvili said,
‘Nobody is going to take the baby away from you'.

Bella is due to give birth in December,
and will keep her child with her in prison,
it is understood.

There is a chance
the court could let her out on house arrest in the last month of her pregnancy,
and for ten months afterwards."