Ihar Pastnou: “Probably, I will be taken to hospital again, with a “worsening of psychic illness”

Vitsebsk medician Ihar Pastnou recorded a new video message to his countrymen. He again criticizes Vitsebsk medicine for low wages, speaks of human rights violations in the light of the current law "On psychiatric care" and the need for changes in the law.

His video address, almost 18 minutes long, was uploaded to Youtube, where his earlier addresses were published, including the address after which he was forcibly hospitalized in the psychiatric department of the Vitsebsk Regional Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology.

In the last video Mr. Pastnou says that he was not scared with such measures and considers itas revenge for constructive criticism. According to Mr. Pastnou, he received unconfirmed information that he could be taken to hispital again due to a “worsening of his illness”. That's why he asks all viewers to pay attention to his condition at the time of the speech, so that they could get an impression about his behavior in case of his rehospitalization.

Mr. Pastnou stresses that he doesn't agree with the diagnosis “paranoid personality disorder” given to him. He also disagrees with the ruling of the Vitsebsk District Court, which authorized his involuntary psychiatric treatment in August 2013. With the help of human rights activist Pyotr Ivanovthe Vitsebsk physician attempts to appeal this decision. He has reached the Supreme Court already.

In the latest video Mr. Pastnou calls the low wages of Vitsebsk medics "a threat to national security". He also talks about the need to ammend the law "On psychiatric care". Ihar Pastnou believes that this law is unconstitutional and that it legitimizes violations of the patients' rights, when the psychiatrist has the right to prohibit correspondence, visits and all communication with the outside world. In such circumstances, the patient can not tell someone about torture or bad treatment in the hospital, and can not even contact a lawyer for legal assistance, as it happened to him.