Unacceptable Practice in Psychiatric Hospitals Regarding Involuntary Treatment Termination: Human Rights Defender

An absolute unacceptable practice exists in psychiatric hospitals regarding the termination of treatment that is either involuntary or against an individual's will. This was stated by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan.

The medical staff concludes that a person no longer requires inpatient treatment, has recovered, and that treatment should be terminated. However, discharge is not possible because discussions of petitions from psychiatric hospitals at courts are prolonged indefinitely.

People are forced to remain in a state of deprivation of liberty for an indefinite period in psychiatric hospitals, waiting for the court to decide on the termination of their treatment or, alternatively, on their discharge and release. This is also a problem for the psychiatric hospital.

We have highlighted this issue within the framework of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) functions of the Human Rights Defender, and we will address it in greater detail in the near future. Legislative regulations are also inadequate.