Opposition Activist Forcibly Held in Russian Psychiatric Center

Larissa Arap, an activist and member of Russian opposition group United Civil Front (UCF), claims she is being held at a psychiatric clinic against her will after publishing an article criticizing Russian health officials.

On July 5, Arap visited a hospital for certification that she was of sound mental health – a requirement for all Russian’s looking to renew their driver’s license.  According to her story, the doctor recognized her and called police.  She was detained and then taken by ambulance to a psychiatric clinic outside the city of Murmansk.

Upon arrival at the clinic, Arap alleges she was beaten across her legs and forcibly injected with drugs.

While Arap and other activists are claiming the internment is politically-motivated, Yevgeny Yenin, the chief medical officer has called the claims unfounded.  “This is libel.  As we are representatives of a state medical institution, they are libeling Russia,” he said.

The article by Arap was called “Madhouse” and revealed alleged abuses carried out in the child wards of local psychiatric clinics.  She claimed that children were forced to kiss and massage staff members’ legs and were only allowed to walk outside the grounds of the wards once every two weeks.  She also reported that children were abused and raped while at these wards.  The article was published in a newspaper published run by Russia’s key opposition figure, Gary Kasparov.

Arap’s allegations have raised fears that Russia is bringing back a dark Soviet practice of silencing political dissidents by locking them up in psychiatric hospitals.  However, there are no allegations that the Kremlin is behind Arap’s detention.  Rather, allegations target local officials who are able to abuse power and target dissidents because laws are not strictly enforced at the local level.

UCF has demanded that the human rights ombudsman intervene.  Although the Kremlin has not commented on the story, an ombudsman spokeswoman claims an independent psychiatric commission would be examining Ms. Arap and her claims.

Some local doctors have pointed out that Arap was hospitalized for mental-health problems before.  Her husband admits that in 2004 she spent two weeks at a clinic, but activists claim this fact is being used to discredit her allegations.

In the meantime, her husband is working to secure her release from the clinic, but says “it involves a complicated legal process; a court needs to make a second decision on her case.  There may have to be three, four, five decisions made.  I don’t know what will happen next.”

For More Information See:

Psychiatric abuse claim in Russia, BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6925779.stm, 1 August 2007.

Russian activist says held in psychiatric clinic, Reuters, http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL3167007520070731, 31 July 2007.

Russia: Activist Sent To Psychiatric Unit After Exposing Health Facilities, Radio Free Europe, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/08/3d5ab6d0-657e-429f-8340-ce3c338e3066.html, 2 August 2007.

Journalist and Opposition Activist Said to Have Been Forcibly Interned in Psychiatric Hospital, Reporters Without Borders, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=23098, 30 July 2007.