U.S. condemns use of punitive psychiatry in occupied Crimea

The United States condemns Russia's widespread use of punitive psychiatry in the occupied Crimea against people who oppose the occupation.

U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE James S. Gilmore said this during a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday, April 30, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We condemn Russia’s continued widespread use of punitive psychiatry against Crimeans who oppose the occupation," he stressed.

The American diplomat noted that at least two Crimean Tatar political prisoners, Yashar Muyedinov and Raim Aivazov, remained in weeks-long punitive psychiatric detention.

In addition, on April 20, the FSB ordered three other Crimean Tatars who had been arrested in raids last month to be subjected to psychiatric detention. "These are old tactics that have occurred in the past, and were left behind and now are reemerging against political opponents," the ambassador said.

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