Lithuania | Ombudsman discusses peculiarities of treatment of patients with tuberculosis in prisons and mental health institutions

Augustinas Normantas, Head of the Seimas Ombudsmen's Office and Vytautas Valentinavičius, Head of the Human Rights Division together with Jean-Sébastien Blanc, Director of Thematic Programmes of the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), accredited to the United Nations, discussed the peculiarities of treatment of patients with tuberculosis in prisons and mental health institutions.The APT representatives stressed that the treatment of people with tuberculosis should not differ from the treatment of other individuals in those institutions, and that an immediate isolation of convicted persons or persons with mental and behavioural disorders is unacceptable and does not comply with the principles of protection against torture established in the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. 

According to Jean-Sébastien Blanc, prisoners and people with mental health problems should be provided with leisure activities and employment possibilities, including social rehabilitation: "The most effective treatment should be applied, thus shortening the period of possible isolation of these persons".

Representatives of the Seimas Ombudsmen's Office agreed that, at the request of the Seimas Ombudsmen's Office, the Association for the Prevention of Torture will provide expert insights on the basis of which the Seimas Ombudsman will prepare recommendations to the institutions concerned regarding the treatment of persons with tuberculosis held in prisons and mental health institutions.

Source: The Seimas Ombudsmen´s Office of the Republic of Lithuania