Drug Addicts Treated with Physical Force in Armenia: Report

State policy on the fight against drug addiction and the illegal circulation of drugs has a punitive nature. Representatives of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor office have come to a this conclusion in their 2010-2012 study of Armenia’s national program fighting against drug addiction and illegal circulation of drugs and the conditions and methodological approaches of Armenia’s four rehabilitation facilities.

The study’s monitors consider the rehabilitation facilities' building conditions degrading to one’s dignity and only the Republican Rehabilitation Center (formerly Avan Rehabilitation Clinic) has a specific treatment for drug addicts.

Gyumri’s Mental Health Center, Lori Marz’s Psychiatric-Neurological and Syunik Marz’s Psychiatric-Neurological Dispensaries' divisions for drug addicts is separate from other divisions, however the opportunity to provide women assistance is not provided. There is also no division for juvenile patients.

“During admission, an examination of the origins of an individual's injuries, registered from physical examinations, is not implemented. The drug addict has to pay for his personal information to be kept confidential,” said the summarized report of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor office.

The report revealed that at certain incidents the patients have been forced to pay 100-120,000 AMD ($250-$300), they are not provided with new medications, and the old medicine is not provided in necessary quantities.  

The human rights defenders consider it a problem that patients do not go through the entire course of the treatment. Basically, when patients are relieved of their basic acute condition, they want to immediately check out of the rehab facility.

“Implementing the means of physical restraint is allowed by the Armenian legislation for individuals with mental health issues, only with the objective of treatment. The law does not entail physical restraint measures (straitjacket, belts) for drug addict and alcoholic patients receiving care from rehabilitation facilities, while interviews with staff during monitoring revealed that, according to staff members, physical restraint is also implemented for drug addicts and alcoholics,” said the HCA Vanadzor office’s report.

Photograph: Gyumri Mental Health Center