A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help raise funds to pay the fine of a South African woman imprisoned in Georgia.
Genevieve Uys was arrested and charged in October last year, after she was arrested for travelling without her prescription for the medication she takes. If convicted, Genevieve Uys faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
Her family are working on getting the necessary documents to the Georgian authorities and continue to negotiate for her release.
Speaking to IOL, Sandra Uys added that the family were also disputing allegations that Genevieve was in possession of methylenedioxymethamphetamin (MDMA) at the time of her arrest.
“There is no way my daughter would compromise her business, which she has been operating for 12 years. She is in the medical field,” Uys said.
She said her daughter had worked across the world, helping couples have babies, and her work was one of compassion.
Genevieve was arrested while travelling to the Batumi Fertility Clinic on business in October last year. The 32-year-old Cape Town woman works as an International in-vitro fertilisation facilitator through her business, Travelling Donors, which she started more than a decade ago.
Genevieve, who suffers from multiple medical conditions, requires the medication for treatment.
She also has perforated discs in her spine and some of the medication is used for that. Genevieve suffers from Keratoconus, a congenital, degenerative eye disease. Her lenses and glasses were confiscated during her arrest.
“We are appealing for the authorities to return her glasses and lenses. There are no specialists in Georgia who can treat her for the condition,” she said.
Uys said Genevieve has conceded that she should have been more careful and carried her medication.
“She travels so much. It was a complete innocent error. There are scripts for her medication, and we are in the process of getting it sorted,” Uys said.
She said many people had questioned why Genevieve did not have money to pay her own fine.
“Her business relies on travel and she could not travel during Covid. She had to live frugally and basically started from scratch,” Uys said.
She said she spoke to Genevieve on Monday night. She had been moved to a new section of the facility.
“She is sharing a room and she is struggling. The only time she gets to speak English is when she manages to make a call. I am extremely concerned about the degeneration of her eyes and we are putting pressure on authorities for her lenses to be returned,” she said.
Uys said there had been a massive outpouring of love and support from people across the world, including in the US, UK and Australia.
IOL