ill-treatment

25 February 2011. The Mental Disability Advocacy Center today sent a letter of concern to the Kenyan Prime Minister, asking the Government to investigate allegations of ill-treatment against people with disabilities, and to bring practices into compliance with the country’s international human rights obligations, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Kenya ratified in May 2008.

Budapest, 10 December 2010. The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights will hold a hearing in the case of Stanev v. Bulgaria (application no. 36760/06) on 9 February 2011.  Information from the Court regarding the hearing and the case is available here

Budapest, 21 October 2010. Today in a formal “comment”, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammerberg, called for an end to inhuman treatment of persons with disabilities.

14 September 2010. Election to the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture presents an opportunity for States and civil society to prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment in psychiatric and social care institutions.

• Providing supported decision-making for the approximately 80,000 people under guardianship;

12 August 2010, Budapest (Hungary) and Sofia (Bulgaria). In a decision dated 29 June 2010, the European Court of Human Rights declared the application of Rusi Stanev v. Bulgaria (application no. 36760/06) admissible. The Fifth Section of the Court, in a procedure reserved for cases that raise issues of great importance, relinquished the case to the Grand Chamber for judgment on the merits. Mr.

27 April 2010, Budapest, Hungary. Yesterday the Hungarian Constitutional Court shattered hopes that Hungary would reform its guardianship laws, jeopardizing the rights of 80,000 people with disabilities under guardianship.

1 April 2010. Today MDAC launched a one-year initiative in which it will seek to provide guidance to governments and NGOs on the effective implementation of Article 33 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the provision which focuses on domestic implementation of the Convention.

Budapest, 22 September 2009. Members of the Hungarian Parliament voted for a new Civil Code yesterday evening. In doing so they ensured that Hungary becomes the first country in the world to reform its legal capacity legislation in line with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

18 May 2009. The Egyptian Parliament adopted in late April 2009 a new law entitled the “Law for the Care of Mental Patients”. Mental health law reform is particularly timely in Egypt given the country’s ratification in April 2008 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which includes rights provisions for persons with mental health disabilities.