MDAC Media Release 21.08.2007

Psychiatric ‘care’ still a political weapon in Russia?

 

 

The facts surrounding the illegal detention of MDAC’s client, Ms. Larisa Arap, have been well publicised. On 5 July 2007, shortly after publishing a story criticising psychiatric treatment of children in Russia, Ms. Arap was forcibly taken to a psychiatric hospital. Today she told MDAC:

 

‘I was detained against my will. I was injected with drugs without my consent, I was tied to a bed for a day, and I was threatened and beaten up by staff. I hope the appeal court will see this situation objectively.’

 

For 13 days Ms. Arap was detained in the hospital without court sanction and the basis upon which she was detained was withheld from her family, friends and legal representatives. Official court sanction for her forced detention and forced treatment was received on day 13 (18 July 2007).

Some eight days later (26 July 2007), she was moved to a second hospital 250km outside Murmansk, her home city. Evidence supporting the move, the detention and forced treatment was withheld. On 10 August 2007 a court ordered that her detention be prolonged because her health could deteriorate if she was not in a psychiatric hospital.

 

The Russian Ombudsman obtained an independent psychiatric report which concluded that Ms. Arap had been illegally detained. On 20 August 2007 she was discharged from hospital.

 

MDAC’s Russian attorney Dmitri Bartenev has been providing legal advice and assistance to Ms. Arap, and her representatives. Currently two appeals are pending. The first relates to the initial court sanction (18 July) and the second to the continuation of her detention. One appeal is to be heard tomorrow (22 August 2007).

 

As Oliver Lewis, MDAC’s Executive Director, points out,

 

‘Faced with two appeals relating to Ms. Arap’s very public and illegal detention, the Russian judiciary now has the opportunity to show that it will not bow to political pressure, but will instead honour both Russian and international law by formally declaring Ms. Arap’s detention to be illegal.’

 

The furore that has attended Ms. Arap’s detention and treatment has brought attention once more to Russia’s well documented use of psychiatry as a political weapon. Were it not for the efforts and courage of family, friends and interested organisations her disappearance from society would have gone unnoticed. She would have been effectively silenced.

 

Ms. Arap’s case has also highlighted the inadequacies of the Russian mental health system. On a daily basis people are abused by the system which relies on ignoring the law, depriving people of legal capacity, locking people up needlessly, and injecting people with old-style psychiatric medication which often has serious side effects.

 

Detention and forced treatment in psychiatric institutions has received a great deal of international attention and its use is being increasingly scrutinised. To limit the possibility of inappropriate detention and treatment, the international community has now agreed strict procedural and legal guidelines that must be followed before forced detention and treatment can occur. On paper Russia has implemented these guidelines. In practice they are regularly violated, and it is these violations which MDAC urges the Russian government to stop.

 

(notes for editors)

 

MDAC relies on donations to continue its work. If you wish to contribute please donate via its website www.mdac.info, or call + 36 1 413 27 30.

 

The Mental Disability Advocacy Center advances the human rights of children and adults with actual or perceived intellectual or psycho-social disabilities. Focusing on Europe and Central Asia, we use a combination of law and advocacy to promote equality and social integration. MDAC has participatory status with the Council of Europe and is a cooperating organisation of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. MDAC’s vision is for a world that values emotional, mental and learning differences, and where people respect each other’s autonomy and dignity.

 

Mental Disability Advocacy Center

Rákóczi út 27/B, 1088 Budapest, Hungary

Tel: + 36 1 413 27 30, fax: +36 1 4 13 27 39

Email: mdac@mdac.info, web: www.mdac.info

For further information (in English or Russian) on this release contact MDAC, at mdac@mdac.info or telephone + 36 1 413 2730, or fax: + 36 1 413 2739.

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