Ihar Pastnou doesn't trust Vitsebsk medics and asks to be transferred to Minsk

According to the Vitsebsk human rights defenders who have recently visited Ihar Pastnou in the regional center of psychiatry and narcology, he has already filed to applications for his transfer to the National Center of Psychical Health, but haven't received any answers so far.

Ihar Pastnou also intends to apply to the chief psychiatrist of Belarus with the request to discriminate in his health or at least send his representative to Vitsebsk to discriminate in the situation.

Having visited Mr. Pastnou in the hospital, the human rights defenders Piatro Ivanou and Leanid Svetsik stated that he was still limited in the opportunity to use his phone and that he wrote a letter to the head of the Regular Commission of the Chamber of Representatives for health care, physical culture, family and youth policy of the National Assembly Aliaksandr Tsatsokha with the proposal to amend the Law “On Rendering Psychiatric Aid” by abolishing the provisions which violate the patients' rights. This letter to Aliaksandr Tsatsokha was passed by Mr. Pastnou through the human rights defenders, informs the website "Vitsebsk Spring".

Vitsebsk human rights defenders also demand a repeated psychiatric examination of medic Ihar Pastnou. This is stated in the web-petition, under which they intend to collect 50.000 signatures. “The commission of psychiatrists from Vitsebsk couldn't assess his state and social dangerousness objectively, as far as its members are subordinated to the chief physician of the Vitsebsk Regional Center for Psychiatry and Narcology Alena Martynava, who initiated his placement in the psychiatric hospital.

The international human rights organization “Amnesty International” stated its readiness to recognize Mr. Pastnou a prisoner of conscience. It urges all concerned people to send appeals to the Ministry of Health Care, demand a repeated psychiatric examination of Ihar Pastnou by independent specialists, and also take all necessary measures to provide Mr. Pastnou with the necessary legal aid at the hospital.

He was deprived of this hospital since 16 August when he was forcibly taken to the psychiatric hospital, up to the trial on 21 August, when the Vitsebsk District Court sanctioned his forced medical treatment. He wasn't taken to the trial and was deprived of the opportunity to send there his counsel, being prohibited to use the phone and meed visitors. On 23 August he was first visited by his counsel and human rights defenders. However, he is still not allowed to meet with journalists in order to prevent the spread of information about the atmosphere in the Vitsebsk regional psychiatric hospital.

Ihar Pastnou and his lawyer passed to cassation appeals against the verdict of Judge Tatsiana Dzehtsiarova concerning the forced medical treatment. The date of the court proceedings hasn't been appointed yet.