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Journals Reports Useful materials

Operational Report: Violations of the Rights of People Affected by TB in Tajikistan

Since the beginning of 2022, the REAct tool in Tajikistan has also been used by project partners and national coordinators, SPIN Plus, to document violations of rights and legal barriers that people affected by TB face when accessing treatment and prevention services.

In the first half of 2022, 89 applications from people affected by tuberculosis were documented, which is 8% of the total number of registered cases in the country during this period. It should be noted that 49.4% of clients with TB also have a positive HIV status, 41.5% have a criminal record, and 18% use drugs. Therefore, most of the documented violations are indicative of stigma and discrimination based on a variety of grounds, including the presence of tuberculosis.

The report was presented on July 15, 2022, in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) at a meeting with partner organizations.

The detailed operational report in Russian is below.

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Report on the results of the Analysis of the Hotline calls: Domestic and other forms of violence against women living with HIV and women in key populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020-2021, 758 complaints were registered in the REAct system in Tajikistan about violations of rights, 413 of which were through calls to the hotline.

The report gives an account of the main findings based on the results of studying the information received from the KPs on violations of their rights and regarding manifested violence by both individuals and organizations of various levels and profiles of activity. The study results and the elaborated recommendations can be used by both individuals and organizations to emerge and implement support measures for vulnerable groups to counter violations of their rights, harassment and ferocity.

The pilot stage of the hotline in Tajikistan cropped up from October 2021 to March 2022. Hotline numbers were mainly focused on sustaining vulnerable groups of the population, such as: people living with HIV, users of psychoactive substances (PS), including injecting and non-injecting drugs, persons providing sexual services for compensation, trans* people, men, having sexual relations with men.

Read the detailed statistics in the report below.

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Reports Useful materials

REAct Statistical Report 2021. Violations of the rights of people living with HIV, drug users, sex workers, men who have sex with men, trans* people, and other vulnerable groups in Moldova.

The main implementing partner in the Republic of Moldova is the Public Association “Positive Initiative” from Chisinau. The mission of the organization:

In our work, we unite the efforts of all responsible and interested parties, strengthening community systems, influencing public opinion and politics.

At the end of 2021, 5 out of 14 NGOs implemented routine screening for human rights violations in the national Electronic Monitoring System (a system for collecting data on services provided and handouts in the Republic of Moldova). In 2021, 3060 screening questionnaires were submitted, 361 people reported violations of their rights, of which 79 received legal advice and 55 were included in REAct.

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Brochures Education courses News Useful materials

Test: Is your organization ready to document human rights violations?

The REAct team, having on its experience and the expertise of partner organizations, developed a self-assessment test for an organization’s readiness to document and respond to human rights abuses in accessing HIV treatment and prevention services.

The test consists of 10 simple questions that assess an organization’s resources, expertise, and capabilities that are needed to document evidence of rights violations and provide legal and medical-social services to help the victims.

At the end of the test, based on your answers, the system issues clear and specific recommendations on which areas need to be improved in order to be most effectively prepared for the start of work in the field of human rights.

Read also:

Response methodology in REAct tool

ECOM: Manual on monitoring and documentation of LGBTQ human rights violations

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Journals Reports Useful materials

REAct Statistical Report 2021. Violations of the rights of people living with HIV, drug users, sex workers, men who have sex with men, trans* people in Georgia (in Russian and Georgian).

The main implementing partner is the Georgian Harm Reduction Network (GHRN), which works in partnership with 17 other non-governmental organizations providing a wide range of services for key populations, including legal support services and services for women.

ICF “Alliance for Public Health” provides technical support for database maintenance, analysis of collected information and formation of strategic goals for advocacy.

The pilot launch of REAct was decided to be carried out on the basis of the city of Tbilisi with a further plan to expand to other regions in mid-2020. By the end of 2021, the REAct base has expanded to 7 more cities: Batumi, Kutaisi, Samtredia, Gori, Ozurgeti, Rustavi, Tbilisi.

Find out the statistics on violations of the rights of people living with HIV and groups at risk in Georgia in the analytical report IN RUSSIAN below.

The analytical report in the Georgian language

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Journals Reports Useful materials

Situational Report: Drug policy in Georgia and Challenges

On June 27, 2022, a round table discussion on “Humane Drug Policy – Affordable Health Care” was organized by the Georgian Harm Reduction Network. A situative report on Drug policy in Georgia and Challenges based on REact data was presented at the meeting.

The meeting was dedicated to the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, which has traditionally become a day for anti-drug policy for network organizations.

A report in English:

Report in the Georgian language:

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News

ECOM begins to work in the REAct system to monitor and document human rights violations

At the end of June, a training session was held on monitoring and documenting human rights violations of LGBT people. ECOM was able to train 18 activists from 5 countries in the EECA region.

One of ECOM’s tools to achieve the goal of creating a favorable legal environment is to collect data on human rights violations of LGBT people in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Therefore, we continue to train more and more monitors in order to monitor human rights violations.

“This year, we started working together with the Alliance for Public Health: we started adding cases of human rights violations of LGBT people to the REAct online database. We conducted this training session as part of this activity. The participants took part in the training and identified monitoring objectives for each country. In the future, the information collected on violations will become a source for advocacy in the countries and in international mechanisms,” says Elvira Tilek, Human Rights Officer at ECOM.

During the training session, the participants learned how to collect evidence when monitoring and documenting human rights violations of LGBT people, how to systematize and classify human rights violations. The training session was based on the manual on monitoring and documenting human rights violations of LGBT people developed by ECOM.

The participants received theoretical and practical knowledge about monitoring and the process of documenting, got acquainted with the applied theory of collecting and documenting evidence, learned how to properly use photo and video evidence in their work.

Also, during the training, the following topics were discussed in detail: human rights, what is stigma and discrimination and the difference between them, the classification of human rights violations, the process of identifying violators and types of violations.In addition, the REAct database was presented to the participants as well as the mechanism of how to work with it.

REAct is a tool for documenting rights violation cases and monitoring the response to them. The participants learned how to conduct interviews with victims of rights violations, carefully collect complete information about each incident, and also took part in a discussion about methods of creating a monitoring network, about emotional burnout and shared their self-care methods with each other.

Read also:

APH and ECOM Initiate Strategic Partnership to Improve Protection of KPs Rights via REAct Online Platform

ECOM: Manual on monitoring and documentation of LGBTQ human rights violations

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Education courses News Useful materials Education courses

Online course on drug decriminalization launched in Russian, English, French and Arabic

Partners' publication

On June 2, 2022 at 11:00 am (UTC+3), #SoS_project 2.0 regional team the Alliance for Public Health and the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) presented a new version of a unique online training course on drug decriminalization for activists in the EECA region.

IDPC’s Drug decriminalization [e]Course is a free-to-access online learning course open to anyone interested in this crucial topic. With the launch of the Russian version of the course, activists from the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia will have access to cutting-edge knowledge in the field of modern approaches.

Presentation speakers:

Alexandrina Iovita, The Global Fund,

Tetiana Deshko, Alliance for Public Health

Marie Nougier, IDPC (United Kingdom)

Ganna Dovbach, EHRA

Irena Molnar, ReGeneration, Serbia

The [e]Course includes seven modules:

  • Introduction, definitions and support for decriminalisation
  • Existing models of decriminalisation
  • Introduction, definitions and support for decriminalisation
  • Designing a decriminalisation model
  • Thresholds and defining drug possession for personal use
  • Designing decriminalisation: sanctions and intrusiveness
  • The ‘gold standard’ for decriminalisation

Watch course presentation in Russian recordings:

https://fb.watch/eqdQxcPVXk/

Log in on this web-site to try a course.

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Brochures Education courses Useful materials

User Guide: REAct Mobile Application

Authorized users can also use the REAct database from a mobile application that can be downloaded and installed on an Android phone or tablet.

You can download the mobile app from the Google Play Market here.

For convenient use of the database, use the manual in Russian and English below.

Read also:

Response methodology in REAct tool

User guide in English:

Guide in Russian:

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News Response stories

Republican AIDS Center will be immediately informed about REAct appeals from HIV+ patients

On May 19-26, 2022 within a visit of technical assistance of PAS experts to Tajikistan within regional project TB-REP 2.0, several strategic meetings were held with partners and stakeholders in the country.

REAct coordinators collaborate with TB-REP 2.0 project in the documentation and responding to human rights violations and discrimination against TB patients. Collected data was presented during the meeting with the representatives of the Republican AIDS Center of Tajikistan. Center management was so surprised by the number of violations performed by its employees, that ensured REAct coordinators take measures in order to reduce the number of cases within AIDS Centers.


Deputy Director of the AIDS Center of Tajikistan Soliev Alijon proposed a quick response to all identified and registered cases of violations by medical workers of the country’s AIDS in order to avoid these problems. “As soon as the new case is registered in REAct – we want to know about it and react as soon as possible.” – informed Mr. Soliev.

Read full data, collected in Tajikistan read here.

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Reports Useful materials

Statistical report for 2021. Evidence collected in Tajikistan

The REAct system was implemented in Tajikistan in 2020-2021 as part of the regional SoS_project “Sustainability of Services for Key Populations in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region” (2019-2021). The implementation of the system was provided by NGO “SPIN-Plus” in cooperation with local HIV service and legal public organizations and is coordinated at the regional level by the ICF “Alliance of Public Health”.

Starting from 2022, funding for the work of the project is provided within the framework of the national grant Global Fund. REActors represent 12 NGOs located in different cities in eight regions of the country. Reactors are scheduled to visit cities and towns in the region in order to collect information and provide services to clients. Cases are also documented through a hotline, initiated under the C19RM mechanism in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Response stories

Go and talk to the perpetrator: how to eliminate stigma and discrimination on a domestic level

In Tajikistan, during 2020-2022 there were registered more than 1000 cases of human rights violations against people living with HIV and representatives of groups at risk. Nearly 60% of such appeals inform about violations by individuals in a form of domestic violence, eviction, stigma, and discrimination on a domestic level. Read detailed statistics here.

Stigma and discrimination in Tajik society are promoted and enrooted by repressive criminalizing laws in the country against people living with HIV. Ignorance and lack of information about HIV and AIDS provoke fear and hatred against HIV-positive family members.

Fatima*, 30 years old lives with HIV.
Fatima met a man and married him. He is also HIV-positive. They live together in his mother’s home with her. The client’s mother-in-law knows about the status of the client and her husband. She always insults, does not allow the client to go to the kitchen or to take the food from the fridge. She says: “You are not allowed to enter the kitchen! I will cook food for the family and you – have to do all cleaning up. I don’t want to get infected with AIDS from you.” At the time when the client wants to go to the mother-in-law’s bathroom, she does not allow, or completely cleans everything from the bathroom. And after that, if the client enters the bathroom, after she washes her entire bath with bleach and chemicals. The client says that she cannot share with her fellings with anyone. Asked for help to talk to the mother-in-law of the clients. The client’s husband agreed REActor to go and talk to his mother.

* name is changed

“At the beginning of my work as a REActor, I heard from clients a lot of stories about domestic violence and hatred due to HIV status. The client’s relatives were so scared of HIV, that they didn`t let one use the shared kitchen and bathroom! I understood, that these violations happen because people do not know how HIV can be transmitted, and how – not. All this was happening due to a lack of information. At that point I understood, that if we provide these people with accurate information on HIV transmission and prevention, maybe – they will stop discriminating their HIV-positive close ones.” – tells one of REActor.

So the strategy “to go and talk to the perpetrator” was chosen as a reaction to such cases, registered in REAct. REActors were provided with informational brochures about HIV prevention and treatment. After the client appealed, REActor was coming to the client’s family to explain that a discriminative attitude toward HIV-positive family members will not help to win a virus, otherwise – such an attitude just keeps a person far from treatment services.

Coming back to Fatima’s case, let’s analyze how this approach worked out.

Psycho-emotional support was provided, information was given on the rights of PLHIV, she was invited to the organization, and a social worker consulted her. The next day, a visit to Fatima’s home was organized to talk to her mother-in-law. Full reliable information was given in an accessible language about HIV, VL, ARV therapy and adherence, about the rights of PLHIV, and about the legislation of the Republic of Tajikistan. After that, the mother of the client’s husband was stunned and wordless. She did not believe that if taken at the time of the pill (ART), there would be no risk of HIV-positive person and there will be no risk of infection. “Having well believed you, I will no longer infringe on the rights of my daughter-in-law and son. Let’s see what happens tomorrow and in the future.” – mother-in-law said. The client and her husband were very happy. In two months we contacted them again to find out about the situation in their home. Fatima assured us that her mother-in-law changed her attitude toward her and that everything is fine in their family.

Categories
Education courses News Useful materials

REAct launches a Youtube channel with educational videos on how to use the REAct online tool

The training channel was created for the purpose of distance learning and instructing Reactors and documenters on the use of the REACT online tool. The short videos cover specific topics and parts of the questionnaire and train reactors on how to properly document an incident, how to properly record an incident response, how to identify discrimination and stigma, and how to qualify whether an incident is a human rights violation.

Read also:

Online course on drug decriminalization launched in Russian

Categories
Response stories

Police hunting near OST sites: how one lette can protect hundreads of drug users

In 2020-2021, the REAct system in Kyrgyzstan registered more than 1,300 reports of violations of the rights of people living with HIV, drug users, sex workers, and members of the LGBT community. More than 50% (668 cases) of registered cases reported violations of rights and discrimination by representatives of law enforcement agencies. Of the 668 cases, 59% reported violations by people, who inject drugs and 34% by sex workers. You can get acquainted with detailed statistics on the data page or in statistical reports.

A large percentage of the same type of stories from people, who use drugs about illegal detentions, systematic police brutality could not go unanswered by the Soros-Kyrgyzstan organization, which implements the Street Lawyers project and documents cases of rights violations using the REAct tool. Today, in this article, we look at how you can respond to police violations and what advocacy actions can be taken by an organization that has evidence of such violations.

“We have been working in the REAct database for the third year already. In 43% of our cases, clients are not ready to solve the case, receive legal assistance and defend their rights through contacting law enforcement agencies. This is especially evident when the violator in the case is the representatives of law enforcement agencies themselves. Quite a lot of we have documented complaints people, who inject drugs about harassment, blackmail, and oppressing by police officers. Of course, none of the victims agreed to appeal to the prosecutor’s office with a complaint against the actions of law enforcement officers. – reports Baktygul Zhumabayeva, national coordinator of the REAct system, Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan

Ilim*, February 2021

The client came to the site of the methadone maintenance therapy in the morning, at the entrance he was stopped by the officers of the *** District Department of Internal Affairs. The client was not given the opportunity to get methadone, they put him in a car, and they began to demand information about another client of the site. They threatened to put him in jail for harboring, humiliated with words, insulted. They took him to the police station and continued to humiliate and threaten. They held him for three hours and then let him go without an apology. The client refuses to write a complaint due to fear of persecution. Consultations were held: “know your rights”, “behavior during detention”.

*name changed

Ahmed*, March 2021

A client of a Methadone Maintenance Therapy site on *** Street came to get methadone. Received for 7 days. Left the site. He was stopped by police officers, put in a car, taken to a remote place, threatened, beaten, forced to cooperate in order for the client to provide information about other clients of the site. They kept him in the car for more than three hours and then let him go. The client does not want to file a complaint against the police officers. A street lawyer provided advice on “citizen’s rights”.

*name changed

Utkur*, October 2021

**.10.2021, the client left the OST site and was stopped by a district police officer named *** and a police officer ***. They put him in a car, hit him on the head with a plastic bottle of water and told him to either hand over other consumers or pay them 1,000 soms a month for petrol, otherwise he would be jailed. The client agreed to 1,000 soms per month and was released on the condition that the client would bring the money the next day. The next day, fearing police persecution, he left for another city, where he remains to this day.

*name changed

Vladimir*, December 2021

After the client received the methadone and was heading home, a car stopped on the road near the client, two people in civilian clothes got out of it and introduced themselves as police officers and offered the client to take off. At the client’s refusal, they rudely stuffed him into a car and took him. On the spot, a personal search was carried out without witnesses and video recording. Not finding anything illegal, they began to recruit them to work, humiliated them, insulted them with foul language, threatened that they would find something to put himin a zone for if he won’t work for them. After five hours of detention, he was released.

*name changed

As can be seen from the cases, violations by the police are systemic. That is why it was decided to respond also systematically. The lawyer of the project, who advises street lawyers (REActors), wrote an official letter of complaint to the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that the organization has evidence of regular abuses of authority by police officers in the form of illegal detentions near OST sites. The letter was accompanied by video recordings from street surveillance cameras in neighboring buildings, which recorded the regular presence of police cars near OST sites.

“And oddly enough, we received an official response that this information was taken into account and that the leadership will strengthen control over the legality of the actions of policemen. Yes, this document can be considered an excuse and empty promises. But we made copies of this official letter and distributed them to street lawyers. Now they use this document when negotiating with employees in uniform. Let’s hope that such a strategy will help stop the arbitrariness,” says Baktygul.


Also read:

“Do police defend me?”

Access to justice through… deprivation of parental rights?


Reminder:

The project “Street Lawyers” is implemented by the Foundation’s “Public Health” program Soros-Kyrgyzstan with the assistance of the United Nations Development Program. This initiative appeared in response to the current problems of vulnerable groups.

Street lawyers are trained employees of non-governmental organizations in Kyrgyzstan, representing and defending the interests of vulnerable groups, key in the context of deterrence HIV epidemics.

Read more about the project.

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Response stories

Access to justice through… deprivation of parental rights?

According to the legislation of Kyrgyzstan, there are seven main reasons why parental rights can be terminated in the country. If parents (one of them):

  • evade the fulfillment of the duties of parents, including in the case of malicious evasion to pay alimony;
  • refuse without good reason to take their child from a maternity hospital or from another medical and educational institution;
  • abuse their parental rights;
  • mistreat children, including physical or mental violence against them, encroach on their sexual inviolability;
  • are patients with chronic alcohol addiction or drug addiction;
  • have committed an intentional crime against the life or health of their children or spouse;
  • allow their minor children to wander, involve them in the worst forms of child labor.

However, alas, in practice there are a number of other reasons why a parent can be considered by the authorities as a potential violator and a person who deserves such a terrible punishment – deprivation of rights in relation to their child. For example, his HIV status and stigmatization as a representative of marginalized groups.

“Bad Parent”

On **/ **, 2021, in the Chui region (Kyrgyzstan), a meeting was held with the participation of the client, mentors and the REActor. The reason was the claim of the Social Development Office represented by the Department for Support of Family and Childhood (hereinafter as the DSFC) of the Sokuluk district of the Chui region, to deprive the girl of parental rights due to their improper implementation. The client explained the possible reasons for such an appeal: she is a representative of the PLHIV community, a former pupil of an orphanage and, unfortunately, does not have her own housing. The girl categorically disagreed with such a claim and asked for help – to defend her rights and the rights of her children, since she did not have the opportunity to hire a qualified lawyer.

At the coordination meeting, it was decided to help the client and join the REActor as a representative and mentor, for control as a second representative. Trials have begun…

“Children in Danger”

The position of the FCSD of the Sokuluk district was clear from the very beginning: they insisted on depriving the client of parental rights, since she cannot provide the children with housing and food. The REActor, together with the client, opened a voluntary patent, and after talking with his organization – Ishenim-Nuru Public Foundation, he was ready to provide the family with temporary housing. All documents and petition from the organization were submitted to the court for consideration and legal assessment. However, the representatives of the DSFC of the Sokuluk region and the prosecutor of the Sokuluk region participating in the case, having learned that the organization provides assistance and temporary accommodation to a representative of the PLHIV community, were against the placement of children in this organization, arguing that the children could be in danger.

What is the way out?

After long processes, an alternative solution was found. The client’s ex-husband agreed to provide her and her children with their temporary home. On these terms, the DSFC of the Sokuluk region agreed to withdraw their claim. On December 16, 2021, a trial was held with a ruling on the termination of the civil case on the claim of the DSFC of the Sokuluk district for the deprivation of parental rights. The client returned her children and currently lives with them.


Remember, if you or your loved ones need help in Kyrgyzstan, a REActor is a community representative, an NGO employee who, in addition to providing services and outreach work, is a “street lawyer” and documents cases of rights violations when community members turn to him with complaints. The REActor can advise, provide psychological support and provide primary legal advice, help with the preparation of primary documentation for solving the case.

In Kyrgyzstan, REActors represent 13 NGOs located in different cities of the country, one REActor per region. REActor travel to cities and towns of the region in order to collect information and provide services to clients.

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Brochures Education courses Useful materials

ECOM: Manual on monitoring and documentation of LGBTQ human rights violations

Partners' publication

According to data obtained between 2015 and 2018, the HIV epidemic continues to develop among MSM and trans people in the majority of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA).

In the 2016 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, passed by the UN General Assembly, UN members, including all states in our region, confirmed that the realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms contributes to global measures taken in response to the HIV epidemic, and pledged to promote the adoption of laws, strategies, and approaches aimed at eliminating HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

ECOM believes that one of the key elements to putting an end to the concentrated HIV epidemic in the CEECA region is the elimination of legal, social, economic, and gender barriers to accessing services. Legal and normative barriers in countries of our region are exacerbated by stigma in society, which, in turn, is strengthened by government actions, or inactions regarding the investigation of cases of violence and discrimination towards gay men, other MSM, and trans people.

View the original publication on the ECOM website.

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Response stories

“Do police defend me?”

Only for the first half of 2021 year, REActors in Kyrgyzstan registered 166 appeals on cases involving one of the key group — people who inject drugs (PWID). Alas, one of the most customary reasons for such requests is… law enforcement. PWID are more likely to face violations, threats of physical violence, extortion of money, and abuse of authority rather than get their help. Next, one of the recent true stories.

Confess and you won’t get anything!

** August 2021, the client was at a bus stop in the *** district (****, *** region) and was waiting for passengers as he moonlighted as a taxi driver. Two young Kyrgyz approached and asked for a ride to the city center. When the client delivered them to final destination, they paid and told him to wait. After 10 minutes, three young guys got into the car without asking, hit the client twice in the chest and started recording everything on the phone. The people were in civilian clothes, did not introduce themselves, did not explain who they were, handcuffed the man and took him out of the car in a humiliating way, disparaging him. Afterwards, they began to inspect the car and the client’s personal belongings as well. After a while, two plastic bags and scales were taken out of the car. The client forthwith claimed that it did not belong to him, then sadly, he was battered, maltreated and his ribs were broken. After weighing the contents of the packages, according to the unknown people, there were 200 grams of marijuana and 143 grams of heroin. As it became clear later, these people were operational officers of the District Department of Internal Affairs of one of the districts of the *** region. All the incident was captured on a phone camera.

The operatives said that if the client had confessed, then half would be given to him. And while the investigation of the case is going on, he will not be in need of anything, and his family will be assisted in all their demands. He cast aside the offer. Then representatives of the internal organs turned off the phone camera, punched and smashed the man repeatedly. They insulted and rebuked him, then suddenly they began to promise to “Let him go”, and subsequently they took off the handcuffs and hitched the client in the car to the police department. They brought me through the duty department in an embrace, like a friend. In the office, they called me “AIDS-positive, drug addict, convict” in every possible way, stroke me repeatedly and violently. They said that they had been looking for him for a long time, allegedly he also robbed the apartment.

At 3 A.M., the client could not stand it and wrote a candid confession, under dictation, and only then was he given a drink of water and a smoke. He also offered five thousand dollars to “hush up” the case and at six in the morning everyone drove to his house in his car. The client was warned that if he “throws out the trick”, they will immediately put him in jail, the papers are already ready and will go in the course. Being at home, he asked to go into the bedroom alone, so as not to frighten his wife and children. Once in the room, the client closed the door, managed to take his son’s phone and jumped out the window that overlooks the neighbor. There he hid in a septic tank (a pit where all the sewerage from the house goes). They searched for him for a long time, but they didn’t find him, the neighbor also said that he didn’t see anyone and asked the operatives to leave, otherwise he would call 102. Before leaving, the police department officers told the client’s wife that if he came in the morning, then nothing would happen to him, otherwise he will be kept in prison for a long time.

** August the client called the NGO and partially explained the situation. He was given REActor’s phone number, they met at the appointed place, where the man told all the details of the above offense.

What was done by REActor:

The client was granted shelter outside the area of residence. There he completely came to his senses, similarly concurred to work on the same territory (caring for cattle, and the elderly owners of this place). The man refused to go anywhere, fearing for his son, since he is already a teenager, so REACTOR went himself to one of the directors of the state institution and told the whole situation. He contacted the prosecutor’s office, and a couple of hours later the REACTOR was invited for a conversation. The prosecutor’s office said he would look into it.

Happy end

** August 2021, the prosecutor’s office gave an verbal answer that the client would not be tocuhed by anyone. It turned out that on that unfortunate day for him, two operatives and an investigator got into the car. The investigator was fired (on a different case, but still, he no longer works), and the operatives received a warning from the management that they themselves would be imprisoned for such actions. Since September, the police stopped disturbing the client.

REActor: “In my judgement, the success of the result also lies in the fact that the work was done despite the client’s desire to solve the case and the refusal to officially file a complaint with the prosecutor’s office, since both ill-treatment and torture took place. Assistance was provided by REACTOR independently, in cooperation with the mentor and the head of the Harm Reduction Network Association. Even without the participation of the client, but a positive result was achieved, and most importantly, he was contented!”

Categories
News

Every third drug user arrested is subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment during arrest or detention

Eastern Europe and Central Asia is the only region in the world where new HIV infections among all age groups have continued to rise, according to UNAIDS data.

The policy environment in EECA is dominated by punitive drug laws. People who live with drug dependence are exposed to discrimination based on their chronic health condition, arbitrary arrest, and ill-treatment by the police.

EECA Drugs Regulation

EECA Drugs Regulation

The color scale shows the severity of punishment in the countries’ legislation for drug use and possession for personal use. However, the light color doesn’t mean that
drug users are not criminalized in the country. Rather, in the countries (such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) where laws related to drug use are quite progressive police
practices on the ground remain quite discriminative against drug users.

Evidence collected in REAct

the number of cases registered in each country during the entire period of documentation) As of November 1, 2021

The most frequent violators of PWIDs’ rights are the police (from 18% in Moldova to 68% in Kyrgyzstan) and the healthcare system (from 14% in Kyrgyzstan to 61% in Russia). However, the types of violations are quite different if we compare these two groups of perpetrators.
In respect of the healthcare system, we have recorded such cases as humiliating treatment or denial of health services, which are not so severe and violent as excessive use of force, violence, torture, arbitrary detentions that the police practice on a regular basis against drug users.
The table below shows that the range of violations committed by the police is much broader than those committed by other perpetrators.

All in all, on average one out of every three cases registered in the EECA region, is about the police and law enforcement agencies severely violating fundamental human rights such as the right to life, freedom, bodily integrity etc.

Most common violations in relation to drug users

At a first glance at this table, it becomes clear that most violations take place in healthcare settings. Indeed, 43% of complaints are related to discriminative denial of health services. However, it is important to keep in mind that when a client sought for health services, he/she comes to an NGO, so that a REActor (paralegal) can easily document the case.

Alternately, when a person is detained it is almost impossible to reach him/her with legal services or document such a case, as police officers rarely even let detainees make phone calls. That is why, we believe, the percentage of cases attributable to the
police that we have managed to record are just a small portion of the actual number of violations practiced by the police.

The evidence we have collected proves that violations such as police violence, arbitrary detentions, forced confessions are deeply enrooted in the day-to-day practices of police officers. Such cases should be considered as routine practices rather than rare exceptions.


Read the full report

Drug users and human rights. The situation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia region