Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Today, HCA Vanadzor received a call from Spitak city resident S.S., who told the Organization that she had been involuntarily kept in Avan Mental Health Center since March 24, 2020. 

The woman appeared in the psychiatric hospital due to the complaint submitted to the RA Prosecutor General’s Office. She complained that according to her, her son was subjected to groundless criminal prosecution and as a sign of protest, she made an attempt to set herself on fire.

The police prevented S.S.’s attempt of setting herself on fire and without telling her where and why they were taking her, the Police transferred her to the central division of the Police and held her there for 8 hours. 

‘’I came to the Prosecutor’s Office, but they refused to let me in and told me that I had brought a virus from Spitak’’, says S.S. indignantly. 

As S.S. informed, while in the Police division, she was subjected to violence, deprived of the possibility to go to the toilet, and eat. She was then deceitedly taken to Avan Mental Health Center. 

‘’If they have a camera, they should show the records, a few policemen were tearing my hair out and beating me. I’ve been here for 5 days, no forensic doctor has visited me. After holding me for 8 hours, 2 persons dressed in blue came, they did not tell me who they were, they told me that a professor would examine me, they would talk to me for two hours and then let me go. They brought me here and locked me and then they deceived me and told me to write, with my own hand, that I wanted to get a treatment, they make me take drugs and I feel sick from them. I called 1-02 today, a policeman came and wanted to  take my phone, I didn’t let him do that’’.

Now, S.S. is in an uncertain state, ‘’They tell me that the judge might have me kept here for three more months’’.

‘’I’m not sick, why do they keep me here? I did that so as to draw the Prosecutor’s attention’’, concluded S.S..

Based on the information provided by S.S., HCA Vanadzor will make a crime report to the RA Prosecutor General, and will send an inquiry to the RA Ministry of Health requesting information on the grounds and reasons for keeping her in the psychiatric hospital.

Moreover, the citizen also informed that before taking her to the psychiatric hospital, they did not measure her temperature or do a test, as the epidemic situation of the country presupposes.