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Akbar Novruz

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British citizen and military veteran Matthew Roy Desmond has been detained in Georgia for more than two months after entering the country with prescription medication used to treat chronic spinal pain, according to his lawyers, AzerNEWS reports.

The defense says 49-year-old Desmond is facing serious narcotics-related charges because his medical documentation was not fully compliant with Georgian requirements when he crossed the border.

According to his legal team, Desmond entered Georgia from Türkiye through the Sarpi Border Crossing on his motorcycle in April after traveling through 25 other countries.

"He travelled through all those states without any problems. But after entering Georgia, he was detained and has now spent more than two months behind bars," one of his lawyers, Jaba Kochlamazashvili, said during a joint press briefing in Tbilisi.

The lawyers said Desmond, who is currently being held at Gldani Prison, possessed prescriptions for all three medications he was carrying: pregabalin, buprenorphine and codeine.

However, according to the defense, the prescriptions had not been notarized and apostilled, leading Georgian authorities to arrest him on narcotics-related charges.

Desmond's lawyers argue that the medications were legally prescribed for the treatment of his chronic spinal condition and are seeking his release.