Putin Revives Soviet Tactics: Navalny and 48 Others Sent to Forced Psychiatric Treatment
Photo source: https://standpointzero.com/2022/05/06/parallel-realities-on-russia
On World Mental Health Day, the global community is urged to reflect on the growing mental health crisis. Yet, in Russia, this important cause is being weaponized by the regime of Vladimir Putin to repress its critics in ways chillingly reminiscent of the darkest Soviet-era practices. Reports have surfaced that at least 49 political prisoners—among them high-profile figures like Alexei Navalny, Ilya Yashin, and Vladimir Kara-Murza—have been subjected to forced psychiatric treatment as a form of punishment for their opposition to the government.
The Weaponization of Mental Health: Under the pretext of addressing "mental health issues," the Russian authorities are using psychiatric diagnoses to discredit and incarcerate those who speak out against the state. This extends to activists, scholars, journalists, Muslims, and even artists. Accused of being "insane" or "mentally unstable," these individuals are branded as dangerous to society and forcibly committed to psychiatric institutions. Here, they are kept indefinitely, often in terrible conditions, subjected to inhumane treatment, and denied any possibility of a fair trial.
Inside the Walls of Psychiatric Hospitals: Once committed, these political prisoners face a nightmarish existence. Accounts from survivors reveal a pattern of severe abuse, where individuals are frequently beaten, humiliated, and injected with powerful antipsychotic drugs like haloperidol, which is known to cause extreme sedation and a loss of personal autonomy. Some have described it as a method not only to physically restrain but also to mentally break the will of those who dare to oppose Putin's regime. Even more alarming is the fact that these "patients" are often kept in indefinite confinement. The ambiguous diagnosis of mental illness allows authorities to claim they are not "cured," meaning they can be held indefinitely without any legal recourse.
The Case of High-Profile Prisoners: Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, is one of those targeted. Though Navalny's poisoning and subsequent imprisonment have already made global headlines, new reports suggest that psychiatric evaluation and forced treatment are being considered as a next step in his persecution. Likewise, Ilya Yashin, a well-known opposition politician, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a staunch Kremlin critic and survivor of multiple poisoning attempts, also face the threat of being declared "insane" and indefinitely locked away in psychiatric facilities. These cases echo the tactics of the Soviet Union, where dissidents were often declared mentally ill to justify their forced isolation.
A System Designed for Repression: The pattern in these cases is clear: dissidents are first imprisoned on political charges, then, as their trials progress or opposition grows, they are declared mentally unfit and sent to psychiatric hospitals. This method allows the state to avoid the legal constraints of criminal sentencing, as psychiatric confinement can be prolonged indefinitely. The Memorial Human Rights Center and other international watchdogs have raised alarms about these practices, calling for the immediate release of these individuals and the cessation of forced psychiatric treatment in Russia.
The World's Silence: As the world celebrates mental health awareness, Putin’s regime is exploiting this critical issue to further entrench its grip on power. The international community must not turn a blind eye to this practice, which violates the basic human rights of those affected. With every political prisoner sent to forced psychiatric "treatment," the state not only strips away their freedom but also dehumanizes them, treating dissent as a mental illness that must be cured.
The chilling echoes of Soviet-style repression are unmistakable, and the fate of these 49 individuals—and countless others—now hangs in the balance. The global community must act before Russia's psychiatric wards become permanent prisons for political dissenters.
Author: Olga Morozova