Tag: involuntary treatment
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The right to be heard of a woman with disabilities is reinforced by the European Court
On 9 December 2025, the European Court of Human Rights delivered an important judgment in the case of H.H. v. Finland regarding the right to an oral hearing in legal cases challenging involuntary psychiatric commitment and treatments imposed without the person’s consent. The case involved a 52-year-old woman with psychosocial disabilities who was involuntarily placed multiple times in a psychiatric hospital in Finland. The applicant appealed each commitment decision in the…
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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 Council of Europe that suspends the…
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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 an advisory opinion came in the midst…
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Russian woman with mental health issues takes fight to Strasbourg to challange guardianship
Validity (formerly MDAC) and lawyer, Dmitri Bartenev, have submitted legal arguments to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on behalf of Russian citizen, Lyudmila Shakulina, after she was placed under guardianship in an unfair procedure. Ms. Shakulina also seeks recognition and redress for involuntary detention authorised by her guardians. Ms. Shakulina was placed in a psychiatric hospital against her…
