TBILISI, August 2 – A Georgian court has approved a psychiatric evaluation for activist Nino Datashvili, who has been in pre-trial detention since June 20, 2025, on charges of assaulting a public official during a protest earlier that month.
The decision to order the evaluation, made at the request of the prosecutor’s office, has triggered alarm among human rights defenders. The group Partnership for Human Rights claims the move is an unjustified attempt to discredit a government critic. They argue that the court authorized forced transfer to a psychiatric facility without Datashvili’s participation in the hearing or clear justification.
Authorities cite medical records presented by the defense earlier in the case, which noted symptoms such as “emotional instability” linked to a spinal condition, as a basis for further examination.
Under Georgian law, assaulting a public servant during duty can result in up to seven years in prison.
Critics of the ruling Georgian Dream party say the justice system is increasingly used to suppress dissent. Justifying its measures, ruling party officials frequently cite threat of revolution, but claim that rule of law is being upheld.
