Authorities in China’s one-party dictatorship routinely incarcerate political opponents in psychiatric hospitals, according to a report by a human rights organization. Despite the reforms introduced in 2010, according to which admission to psychiatry can only take place with the consent of doctors and under legal control, this practice continues unabated. Many of those affected talk about physical and psychological abuse, such as beatings, electroshock therapy and solitary confinement.
The report by human rights organization Safeguard Defenders is based on conversations with victims and their families that the Chinese NGO Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch has published on the internet. The cases of 99 Chinese who were forcibly admitted to psychiatric care between 2015 and 2021 have been investigated.
No lawyer, no trial
The Chinese Communist Party can keep democracy activists and other opponents completely out of the justice system by giving them psychiatric treatment. Those affected would have no chance of ever talking to a lawyer or facing a trial. The false diagnosis of mental illness has left them socially isolated even after their release.
The organization accused doctors and hospitals of collaborating with the Communist Party to forcibly hospitalize victims without medical justification and stun them against their will. Most of the victims are ordinary citizens “from the lowest rungs of the social ladder” who have made themselves unpopular by submitting a petition.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
