Activist Nino Datashvili Condemns Forced Psychiatric Exam in Court Statement
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, August 8, 2025
Activist and civic education teacher Nino Datashvili, who was arrested in June on charges of assaulting a bailiff, criticized the authorities in court for ordering a forced psychiatric evaluation, calling it political repression.
"I don't have any mental diagnosis, but you've brought the Soviet nightmare back to life and reinforced the stigma," Datashvili said during the hearing.
She described the court ruling for a psychiatric exam as "a shameful page in the history of independent Georgia," noting that she was not allowed to attend the hearing and calling the process a campaign of pressure against her and her lawyers.
"We sent a letter to the prosecutor's office. Neurosurgeons do not issue psychiatric diagnoses. I have no psychiatric diagnosis," she said. "I've referred many teenagers and children to psychiatrists. I have no problem with psychiatric care, but using it to intimidate is unacceptable."
Datashvili said the prosecutor's office made her personal medical information public, despite her lawyers' efforts to keep it confidential. "I'm not asking for any concessions based on my health," she said. "But the forced exam was likely meant to silence me and set a precedent."
She also stated that she had repeatedly requested an MRI due to severe pain, but authorities had not responded. "If they saw mental instability, why didn't they see I needed surgery?" she asked.
A complaint has been filed with the Prosecutor General's Office. "If there's no justice here, we'll wait for it in the European Court," she said.
Datashvili was arrested on June 20 in connection with a June 9 incident. She is charged under Part 3 of Article 353 of the Criminal Code, which covers assault on a public servant during official duties. The offense carries a penalty of four to seven years in prison.
