Soviet Union: Information on psychiatric abuse of political activists since May 1990
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SUN9779 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Soviet Union: Information on psychiatric abuse of political activists since May 1990, 1 December 1991, SUN9779, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abfc1f.html [accessed 25 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to the year-end reports from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Lawyers' Committee on Human Rights, psychiatric abuse in the Soviet Union continued in 1990 (Human Rights Watch Jan. 1991, 392; Amnesty International 1991, 234, 235; Critique July 1991, 292). A document from The Union of Councils for Soviet Jews reports on several cases of psychiatric abuse (July 1991, Appendix VIII). Please find attached excerpts from these documents, and an article from Radio Free Europe providing details on the attempted reform of Soviet psychiatry.
A representative of Helsinki Watch in Washington D.C. indicated that there have been minor legal reforms to psychiatry in the Soviet Union in 1991 (2 Dec. 1991). This source indicated that psychiatric abuse is still a problem, although this applies more to cases of malpractice than to cases of political activists (Ibid.). However, the Helsinki Watch representative stated that the possibility of psychiatric abuse of political activists cannot be excluded, especially in some regions such as the Central Asian republics (Ibid.). According to a Professor with the Centre for Canadian-Soviet Studies at Carleton University, psychiatric detention for political purposes has been formally abolished in the Soviet Union; however, a number of recent Soviet press reports suggest that some individuals who were originally held for political reasons are still being detained (27 Nov. 1991).
There is no further information currently available to the IRBDC on this topic.
Bibliography
Amnesty International. 1991. Amnesty International Report 1991. New York: Amnesty International Publications.
Human Rights Watch. January 1991. Human Rights Watch World Report 1990.
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. July 1991. Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1990.
Professor with the Centre for Canadian-Soviet Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa. 27 November 1991. Telephone Interview.
Representative from Helsinki Watch, Washington, D.C. 2 December 1991. Telephone Interview, Ottawa.
Union of Councils for Soviet Jews. July 1991. Assessment of Soviet Compliance with the Vienna Concluding Document.
Vol. 3. "Sample Cases of Psychiatric Abuse."
Attachments
Amnesty International. 1991. Amnesty International Report 1991. New York: Amnesty International Publications.
Human Rights Watch. January 1991. Human Rights Watch World Report 1990.
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. July 1991. Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1990.
Radio Free Europe. 2 November 1990. Vol. 2, No. 44. Report on the USSR. Reddaway, Peter. "Reform of Soviet Psychiatry...." Union of Councils for Soviet Jews. July 1991. Assessment of Soviet Compliance with the Vienna Concluding Document. Vol. 3. "Sample Cases of Psychiatric Abuse."
