<<No 48 : 14 March 1978>>

PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS

• 12-1. In Special Psychiatric Hospitals. Forcible Hospitalization.
• 12-2. The Release of Yury Belov

*

On 10 November 1977, the Vladimir Region Court passed a decision to end the compulsory psychiatric treatment of Yury Belov (CCE 46.13, CCE 47.12).

On 5 December Belov was let out of the Krasnoyarsk city psychiatric hospital. On the way to Krasnoyarsk airport, he was detained by KGB officials and returned to the hospital. His discharge documents were cancelled, and the cost of his air ticket refunded.

*

Yury Belov

*

On 13 December 1977, Belov was let out of the hospital a second time and successfully arrived in Moscow. On 14 December he issued a statement expressing thanks to those people and organisations that had fought for his release:

“Together with my gratitude, I wish to express the hope that you will not cease your efforts in defence of human dignity. I call on you today to concentrate your attention on those political prisoners who remain in mental asylums, remembering that every day and every hour a similar fate threatens thousands of people who stand up for their views and convictions.”

*

Belov informed the Working Commission of the persecution of psychiatrists who are in sympathy with political patients and refuse to carry out the instructions of the KGB (Bulletin No. 5).

*

In another letter to the Working Commission Yury Belov told how Albert Jovich Zeleneyev (CCE 41.7 [2]), head of Section Four at the Sychovka SPH, confiscated three exercise books of diaries from Belov and about twenty photographs, which had been passed by the censor.

Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Bobrov, head of Section Four at the Smolensk SPH, confiscated an exercise book with poems and abstracts.

“In my opinion,” Belov concludes, “a doctor who performs the function of prison overseer and functionary is altogether not worthy of the title of doctor.”

*

At present Belov is a registered inhabitant of the town of Roslavl (Smolensk Region) and is living there. His relatives in Roslavl have been summoned to the KGB and questioned.

=========================================