B.C. man describes terror, isolation after prescription ADHD medication led to arrest in Georgia

Simon Rovensky, a 22-year-old from British Columbia, recounts a harrowing experience that turned a vacation into a nightmare after his arrest in the country of Georgia for possessing prescription ADHD medication. Rovensky spent almost two months in Gldani Prison before his family managed to raise tens of thousands of dollars to cover fines, legal fees, and other costs, securing his release.

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I realized pretty much right off the start that I was going to get arrested.

Speaking exclusively to Global News from Turkey, where he has reunited with his sister, Rovensky detailed the terrifying ordeal of his arrest and his time in prison. He stated that he realized he would be arrested almost immediately upon being questioned by authorities. Despite having the medication in its original pharmacy container with a prescription tag, including his name, dosage, and the medication's name, Georgian officials apparently treated it as a narcotic.

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It was really scary because I described that I had this medication legally. When they asked me what it was, I showed them the bottle. It had the prescription tag on it with all of the information, the medication name, the dosage, my name and where I bought it.

Rovensky explained that he lacked a translated paper copy of his prescription, which seemed to be a critical issue for Georgian authorities. His phone was confiscated, preventing him from contacting his doctor or family. He endured approximately six hours of questioning with a translator whose English he found difficult to understand. His request to contact the Canadian consulate was denied, with officials assuring him that a consular representative would eventually visit.

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I also did request to call the consulate, but they denied that request. They told me that somebody from the consul was going to come see me eventually.

The arrest was filmed by authorities as he was escorted through the airport in handcuffs, an experience he described as humiliating. He was then taken to a medical facility for tests and further questioning before being transferred to a detention center. Back home, Rovensky's family was frantic after receiving a brief text message stating he was being arrested and his medication had been seized. They initially had no information about his whereabouts or safety, as he had disappeared from the airport after traveling with a friend who alerted the family.

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They actually took a video of my arrest. I walked through the airport in front of everybody handcuffed. They did two takes. I don’t know why exactly. Maybe they didn’t like the first one.