In Moldova, the persons with mental health problems are discriminated and their rights are being violated, say authors of a study carried out by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Mental Disability Advocacy Centre of Hungary. The experts plead for annulling guardianship for these persons, IPN reports.

In a news conference held to present the study, OHCHR National Consultant Alina Grigoras said the Moldovan legislation discriminates against persons with mental disabilities. The Penal Code provides for the deprivation of these persons of mental capacity and institutes guardianship over them. The persons with such disabilities are deprived of the right to take own decisions, to form a family, to manage their pensions and salaries and to go by oneself to court. Until recently, these persons had been deprived of the right to vote too.

“The rights of the guardians are too extensive. These practically decide the life of the persons with mental health problems. The Constitutional Court recently passed a revolutionary decision for Moldova, by which the persons with disabilities were offered the right to seek help from the people’s ombudsperson. There were identified a lot of abuses on the part of guardians. Only one person in Moldova managed to regain the mental capacity through court,” said Alina Grigoras.

The authors of the study also plead for integrating the persons with mental disorders into society and for promoting the spirit of tolerance in communities.