Summary

A Moscow court has forcibly committed U.S. citizen Joseph Tater, 46, to a psychiatric hospital ahead of his April 14 trial for allegedly assaulting a police officer at a hotel in August 2024.

Doctors cited symptoms including persecutory delusions and lack of self-awareness. Tater, who earlier served 15 days for petty hooliganism, claimed he sought asylum in Russia due to CIA persecution.

His lawyer is appealing the hospitalization, calling it politically motivated.

Rights groups warn Russia is reviving Soviet-era tactics of psychiatric detention to suppress dissent.

  • @[email protected]
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    010 days ago

    At a September court hearing, Tater claimed he came to Russia to seek political asylum and that he was being persecuted by the CIA.

    Not to say what is being done is the correct way of handling this guy, but that sentence suggests to me he does have some mental health issues going on. Quite risky to take something like that to Russia.

  • @[email protected]
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    09 days ago

    No American or European should set foot in Russia until significant regime change, unless you like gulags.