A Go Fund Me page has been set up in an effort to raise money to pay the fine for a Cape Town woman who is currently in Georgian prison.
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This comes following the arrest of Genevieve Uys in October last year when she allegedly travelled without a prescription for medication found in her possession. If convicted she could face up to 15 years in prison.
Her family are in the process of compiling the necessary documentation for authorities to continue to negotiate for her release.
In an interview with IOL her mother, Sandra Uys, said that the family were also disputing allegations that Genevieve was found 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.
The arrest occurred as the 32-year-old was travelling to the Batumi Fertility Clinic on business in October last year.
The 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 suffers from multiple medical conditions and also requires medication for perforated discs in her spine.
She also has 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,” Uys told IOL, adding that her daughter conceded that she should have been more careful when carrying 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,” she said.
“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 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.
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Picture: Genevieve Uys / Facebook