{"id":135570,"date":"2025-04-24T14:20:52","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T11:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/135570\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"un-experts-sound-alarm-over-forced-psychiatric-treatment-of-belarusian-dissidents","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/135570\/","title":{"rendered":"UN experts sound alarm over forced psychiatric treatment of Belarusian dissidents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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April 24, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> A group of independent United Nations experts has released a statement raising serious concerns over alleged coercive psychiatric treatment of Belarusian regime critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have received reports about at least 33 individuals, including five women, transferred for coercive psychiatric treatment because they expressed dissent with the authorities since the beginning of the political crisis around the 2020 presidential elections,\u201d says<\/a> the document posted on ohchr.org<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The oldest known person subjected to such treatment is reportedly 77 years old, the experts noted, describing the punishment as “highly irregular” and equivalent to inhuman or degrading treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forced psychiatric treatment of dissidents may violate civil and political rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, the document stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The victims often include people persecuted on protest-related charges, those accused of defaming Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and his officials or suspected of involvement in crimes linked to extremism and terrorism, the experts noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForced psychiatric treatment is a threat to freedom of opinion as medication and electric shocks could be used to control or diminish mental faculties,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eight people sentenced to compulsory psychiatric treatment were released yet at least “25 others remain incommunicado, and no information is available about their fate or whereabouts, raising concerns about their possible enforced disappearances,\u201d the experts added, calling on Minsk to immediately provide legal assistance to these people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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