Askhabov's case draws attention to rehabs' uncertain status

At the rehab (rehabilitation centre for drug addicts), where Magomed Askhabov, a resident of Dagestan, ended up, patients were forced to sign agreements; and they were made volunteers, the journalist, Svetlana Anokhina, has stated. The work of rehabs is practically not controlled; such institutions are not required to have licenses, the lawyer, Osip Drozdovsky, has noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Magomed Askhabov stated that he left Russia after he managed to escape from his relatives, who had sent him to "receive treatment" for homosexuality to a rehab centre for drug addicts. He said that there patients were exposed to physical and psychological torture. On July 18, Askhabov submitted applications to the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) and the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) against the rehab.

In Dagestan, such stories are rare, Ms Anokhina has noted in her comment to Askhabov's story about violence at the rehab.

"Apart from this case, I know two other ones, but I'm not quite sure. But I know this story very well. We've examined the rehab where Magomed was placed and found out that one of the founders thereof had been twice caught for drug possession, but received conditional sentences. Such people created the rehab and just made money on it. They force rehabilitators to sign agreements, present them as volunteers and start working," Svetlana Anokhina shared the details.

According to Osip Drozdovsky, the head of the legal service of the SK SOS Crisis Group*, the operation of rehabs is practically not controlled. "These institutions are not treated as clinics and are not required to obtain licenses. In fact, anyone can open such a centre. But a patient cannot be placed there without his consent, just at relatives' request. If a person is not declared incompetent, all the actions must take place with his voluntary and informed consent. This, of course, is not observed," Mr Drozdovsky has stressed.

*The organization is included by decision of the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the register of unregistered public associations performing the functions of a “foreign agent.”

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 20, 2022 at 03:50 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.