Canadian family says son facing years in prison abroad over prescribed medication

A young Coquitlam man was arrested in Georgia because the prescription medication he was carrying is illegal.

A 22-year-old from Coquitlam, B.C., is facing the possibility of years behind bars in Europe after being stopped at the border with a single bottle of prescribed Adderall, his family says.

Simon Rovensky’s mother, Anna Bond, says the ordeal has been devastating.

“Because he’s only 22 years, it’s like the start of (his) life,” she told CTV News through tears.

Bond says she is living what she describes as a mother’s worst nightmare.

According to his family, Rovensky was travelling to Georgia in late April when he was randomly searched at the border.

His sister, Nika Rovensky, says the family quickly realized something had gone wrong.

“I received a really frantic message from my brother that said, ‘Call mom, call the police if you don’t hear from me in the next 24 hours,’” she said.

The family says Rovensky has ADHD and was carrying Adderall prescribed by his doctor — a medication they say is illegal in Georgia without proof of prescription.

“My brother has a valid prescription, he clearly wasn’t trying to hide his medication. He made no attempt to conceal it, like he wasn’t, you know, trying to do anything illegal,” Nika Rovensky said.

The family says Rovensky showed a receipt for the prescription to border officials but was told it wasn’t sufficient and that he needed the original paperwork.

“Different country, different rules,” Bond said.

Because the medication was not declared, Rovensky’s family says he was taken into custody by Georgian authorities. They add they did not hear from him for two days.

“We didn’t know if he was dead or alive. We didn’t know if he was being hurt. So it was it was like a really, really scary time for us,” Nika said.

Bond says she later heard from her son’s lawyer that a court hearing was scheduled the next day, giving the family just 48 hours to provide documentation.

His sister said the fastest documents can be shipped from Canada to Georgia is in seven days.

At that hearing, the family says Rovensky was charged with large-scale smuggling and the illegal acquisition and possession of narcotic substances.

He is currently being held at Gldani Prison in Tbilisi, according to his family. His sentencing is scheduled for June 25, and they fear he could face a lengthy sentence.

“Nobody should be sitting in a jail cell for 20 years for their medication,” Nika said.

The emotional strain has been compounded by financial pressure, the family says. Legal fees have already climbed significantly, prompting them to launch a GoFundMe. His family says the lawyer cost almost $10,000 and Rovensky is facing a fine of potentially tens of thousands of dollars.

In a statement, Global Affairs Canada confirmed it is aware of the case.

“Global Affairs Canada is aware of the arrest of a Canadian citizen in Georgia. Consular officials are providing consular assistance and are in contact with local authorities,” it wrote in a statement.

Still, Rovensky’s sister says more needs to be done.

“It’s just been incredibly frustrating and overwhelming to see this lack of response from the government when you would really hope that this would be the situation when they would protect their citizens abroad,” she said.

With her son’s future uncertain, Bond says she is holding on to one hope.

“It’s my dream… come back, my son. Come back home,” his mother said.