On October 29, teacher and civil activist Nino Datashvili, who had been held in pretrial detention, was released from the Rustavi Women’s Prison after the court replaced her detention with bail.
Tbilisi City Court Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili granted the prosecution’s motion to substitute Datashvili’s pretrial detention with bail set at 5,000 GEL.
The prosecution’s decision to request bail came after alarming reports about Datashvili’s deteriorating health. While in prison, her condition worsened significantly — she suffered severe pain, was unable to attend court hearings, and, according to her lawyers and husband, had to be moved in a wheelchair.
Following the public outcry over her condition, the Prosecutor’s Office — which had previously opposed her release on bail — changed its stance and itself requested bail of 5,000 GEL. Activists say the full amount was raised within just eight minutes.
Supporters and fellow citizens greeted Datashvili outside the penitentiary upon her release.
Background:
Nino Datashvili, a civic education teacher and civil activist, was arrested on June 20 on charges of assaulting a court marshal. The prosecution accuses her under Article 353², Part 3 of Georgia’s Criminal Code — assaulting a public officer while performing official duties — a charge punishable by four to seven years in prison.
