Yesterday an Other Russia activist, the 20-year-old Artem Basyrov, was committed to a psychiatric hospital against his will – another startling example of how the Soviet-era practice of punitive psychiatry is making a comeback. Other examples of this odious practice include Andrei Novikov and Larisa Arap. From the report: “A local psychiatric board agreed with police, who alleged that Basyrov had assaulted a girl, and concluded he was suffering from some mental illness. Basyrov was finally transferred from an isolation ward and allowed to have visitors on Thursday, said Mikhail Klyuzhev, a National Bolshevik member from the city of Yoshkar-Ola.” An op/ed on the subject by the Morning Journal frames the problem in exceptionally simple and clear language: “Freedom is every person’s right, and no government should be able to deny that right because people speak freely in dissent. Putin’s heavy-handed regime is violating the human rights of those who are being killed or being imprisoned in psychiatric hospitals. It is a terrible, tragic and dangerous step backward in history for Russians.” Let’s keep our eyes on The Other Russia’s vastly improved blog for more information.
Latest Thailand Blog Stories- Does Thailand Want Democracy? February 9, 2012
- Video: Pravit Rojanaphruk Interviews Robert Amsterdam February 5, 2012
- Abhisit and Free Speech: Never the Twain Shall Meet February 5, 2012
- Thailand Gets Improved Marks on Human Rights February 1, 2012
- RA’s Thailand News Blast – Jan 31, 2012 January 31, 2012
- Latest Czech Blog Stories
- Když státníci šílí February 10, 2012
- Jízda začíná February 10, 2012
- Když vyšetřovatelé prchají od velké korupční kauzy February 10, 2012
- Přímo!!! February 9, 2012
- Vyvlastnit vlastnictví February 9, 2012
- Latest CFP Blog Stories
- Franz Sedelmayer: Leading the Fight Against Sovereign Immunity February 1, 2012
- Zimbabwe – The Pillar of Education and Fostering a Patriotism That Never Seemed to Waver January 25, 2012
- Quality Assurance: Brazil Probes Chinese Mobile Phone Imports January 11, 2012
- “Unquantifiable Risk” for Anglo in Chile January 4, 2012
- Shell Faces New Risks in Nigeria January 4, 2012
Subscribe by Email
One Comment
Interestingly, Other Russia is reporting that SPS is on the verge of bankruptcy:http://www.theotherrussia.org/2007/12/16/union-of-right-forces-party-nearing-bankruptcy/It’s a bit disturbing that Other Russia’s report on Artem doesn’t even confirm the detention and relies on third-party news reports:http://www.theotherrussia.org/2007/12/09/liquidation-of-the-%e2%80%9cdiscontented%e2%80%9d/It seems for all the world that they, too, are lacking finances and unable to coordinate activity on a broad scale. Their reporting on the Chervochkin killing was similarly perfunctory and late:http://www.theotherrussia.org/2007/12/12/severely-beaten-activist-dies/Disturbing, too, is that Garry Kasparov is pulling out of the presidential race, for seemingly frivolous reasons, after a concerted period of harassment of him and his family.They have a donations page for those who are interested in supporting them:http://www.theotherrussia.org/support-the-other-russia/