Category: I’m A Person

Under this campaign, we call for recognition of equal citizenship of people with mental disabilities, including their right to make decisions about their own lives. Too often, people with mental disabilities are labelled as “incompetent” or are denied the right to decide by punitive guardianship systems. They may be denied the right to vote, to marry, to manage their own money, and even to decide where to live. Instead of systems based on restriction and control, we push governments to provide support to people to make their own decision – so that they can be the authors of their own lives.

Slovakia: European Court of Human Rights condemns failure to protect the life of a girl with intellectual disability in police custody

In September, the European Court of Human Rights condemned Slovakia for failing to protect the life of a 17-year-old girl with an intellectual disability who almost died in police custody. The victim described being verbally and physically abused by the police while being taken to the… Read More

The European Court finds once again that Bulgaria has breached the right to vote of persons with disabilities

On 5 July 2022, The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Mr. Genchev’s right to vote was infringed because a director of a psychiatric institution made it impossible for him to vote in the Bulgarian legislative elections. On 12 May… Read More

Finland: Validity intervenes before the European Court of Human Rights to argue coercive psychiatric treatment violates the Convention

At the beginning of June, Validity intervened in the case H.H. v. Finland in which the applicant complained of coercive treatment in a psychiatric hospital. She was medicated against her will but could not turn anywhere to complain and try to stop it. The courts refused… Read More

Joint statement on suspension of the draft Additional Protocol to the Oviedo Convention

Joint statement welcoming the suspension of the adoption of the draft Additional Protocol to the Oviedo Convention We, organisations of persons with disabilities, non-governmental organisations, international and human rights bodies, including national human rights institutions and equality bodies, welcome the decisions taken by the Committee of Ministers of the… Read More

Romani man wins unlawful detention case against Slovak Police

Bratislava, Brussels, Budapest, 4 May 2022: The Bratislava I District Court have ruled in favour of a 30-year-old Romani man with an intellectual disability who was illegally held in police custody for four weeks in 2013. The Court, in its first instance judgment, awarded the man from Moldava… Read More

A hospital in Chisinau, Moldova_Alexander Murvanidze_Wikimedia Commons_CC 3.0

Moldova: Validity calls on European Court of Human Rights to recognise forced abortion and sterilisation as torture

Validity has intervened before the European Court of Human Rights (“the Court”) in the case G.M. and others v. the Republic of Moldova. Our intervention highlights that forced sterilisation and forced abortion are forms of torture and ill-treatment, and constitute systemic discrimination against women… Read More

Ukraine: Validity urges European Court of Human Rights to condemn forensic psychiatric detention

Recently, Validity intervened in the case of Tymoshenko v. Ukraine brought by a young woman with a psychosocial disability who was detained and treated against her will in a psychiatric hospital. The Ukrainian prosecution accused Ms Tymoshenko of hurting another person. Read More

Yard of the institution in Bulgaria where Mr. Stankov was detained

Bulgaria: Stefan Stankov continues his fight for independence

For 20 years, Stefan Stankov has been fighting for recognition as a person under the law. Sadly, his journey is one familiar to many people with psychosocial disabilities. Mr. Stankov was deprived of his legal capacity in 1999 and then institutionalised for 15 years. He lived in… Read More

Photo of  Budapest Environs Regional Court

Hungary: Budapest Court confirms Government must release the names of public guardians on request 

Topház Social Care Institution became widely known after Validity revealed the inhumane and horrific treatment of its residents in a 2017 report. 220 residents were subject to torture and ill-treatment in Topház. Children as well as adult residents were put in metal cage beds, routinely chemically and/or physically restrained, were underweight, and physically, mentally and emotionally neglected.  Topház is a closed… Read More

Involuntary Detention and Treatment: European Court of Human Rights Rejects Request to Provide an Opinion on Interpretation of Oviedo Convention

The European Court of Human Rights has rejected a request from the Council of Europe’s Committee on Bioethics (DH-BIO) to provide an advisory opinion on questions related to involuntary treatment and involuntary detention of persons with psychosocial disabilities under Article 29 of the Oviedo Convention. DH-BIO’s request for… Read More

Human Rights Council - 14th Session (UN Photo/Jess Hoffman)

Hungary: Disability rights organisations address lack of respect for the rights of persons with disabilities through the UN’s Universal Periodic Review

Yesterday, Validity Foundation together with the Hungarian Autistic Society, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, the Living Independently in the Community Advocacy Group, and the Step by Step! Association submitted a shadow report to the Universal Periodic Review… Read More

COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor Report highlights catastrophic global failure to protect the rights of persons with disabilities

Final report: Click here Easy-to-read summary of the final report: Click here In its final report, the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor (DRM) Coordinating Group calls for urgent action by States and the international community to halt the catastrophic failure to protect the lives, health and rights of… Read More