Prepared by Messenger Staff
Hearing for Detained Teacher Nino Datashvili Postponed Again Due to Health Issues
The trial of the detained teacher Nino Datashvili, who faces charges of assaulting a public official, was postponed once more on Tuesday after she failed to appear in court because of health problems. The next hearing has been rescheduled for October 29.
Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili announced the decision after receiving a medical certificate from the penitentiary service. According to the document, a doctor stated that Datashvili was not in a condition to attend the session.
Datashvili's lawyer confirmed after visiting her that her health had not improved and she remains in the penitentiary facility, though a course of physiotherapy has recently begun. "She has not been transferred to a medical institution, but treatment has started in the prison," the lawyer said.
The judge reviewed the existing preventive measure of detention and left it unchanged. The prosecution again insisted on continued imprisonment. Prosecutor Tsiramua argued that Datashvili's release could pose risks. "There is still a danger of the accused committing a new crime or influencing witnesses. No new circumstances have emerged that would justify changing the preventive measure," he told the court.
The prosecutor also maintained that her health was not being made worse by staying in the penitentiary. "A physiotherapy device has been provided to address her health condition," he said, stressing that the prosecution does not disregard the detainee's wellbeing.
The defense strongly disagreed, stating that Datashvili's condition has deteriorated. Her lawyer argued that she cannot take care of herself or eat independently. "She needed the help of two people just to reach our meeting today. Seeing her in this state was very difficult," the lawyer noted, adding that they plan to submit a new motion to the court.
A rights defender observing the case also said the care provided was insufficient.
Datashvili was detained on June 20 in connection with an incident at Tbilisi City Court on June 9. She has been charged under Part 3 of Article 353-second of the Georgian Criminal Code, which concerns assaulting a public official during the performance of their duties. The offense carries a penalty ranging from a fine to four to seven years in prison.
Elene Khoshtaria Refuses Bail, Calls It 'Tribute to Open the Prison Door'
Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria, one of the heads of the Coalition for Change, has refused to pay bail, describing it as a form of tribute rather than release. In her letter from the Zahesi pre-trial detention she declared that she would not allow anyone to post bail on her behalf.
"Paying bail and getting out that way is not being released; it's paying a tribute to open the prison door, which, of course, I will not pay," Khoshtaria wrote. "Not because it would hurt my pride, but because I could not call you to any fight or be part of one by participating in lies and farce. My imprisonment is illegal, just like that of countless free people. But imprisonment does not stop the fight, I promise you that. We will win honorably! Until the end!"
Khoshtaria added that anyone attempting to cover her bail would deeply betray her position. "Someone paying my bail would be like stabbing me in the heart, I won't allow anyone to do that," Khoshtaria stressed.
Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili sharply criticized her decision, linking it to funding he alleged was received from Russian sources. "If she had spared 0.001% of the millions received from Russia's budget for Georgia's budget, that 5,000 GEL would have gone to Georgia's budget," Papuashvili said. "But it seems she begrudges this money from the Russian budget for Georgia's budget."
Khoshtaria was ordered by Tbilisi City Court to pay bail as a preventive measure, but her refusal has drawn both political criticism and support from allies who view her stance as part of a broader protest against what they call politically motivated prosecutions.
