Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

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On the instruction of Sabina Aliyeva, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Ombudsman), a monitoring process has been launched for centers offering rehabilitation services for various addictions, Azernews reports.

This falls within the activities of the “Mental Health and Human Rights” Working Group under the Ombudsman.

Following the group's activity program, the Ombudsman’s Office conducted monitoring at the “Bright Life” center for men and the “Women’s Rehab” center for women, both focused on rehabilitating individuals suffering from drug addiction, alcoholism, gambling, and other dependencies.

The monitoring aimed to investigate the conditions of detention and treatment in these centers and to examine the centers' operations based on the Constitutional Law “On the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Ombudsman),” and the laws “On Psychiatric Assistance” and “On Narcological Service and Control.”

The key focus of the investigation was ensuring the rights of those undergoing rehabilitation. During the monitoring, interviews were held with the centers' management and staff regarding legal foundations, documentation, nutrition, rehabilitation programs, treatment, and the right to appeal. Rehabilitation participants were also interviewed confidentially and voluntarily.

The centers' canteen, administrative areas, sports facilities, and recreational spaces were also inspected. The Ombudsman’s legal educational materials were provided to the management, and recommendations were made, including emphasizing the importance of the Ombudsman’s "916" Call Center signs and ensuring patients’ right to appeal.

Several concerns were noted during the monitoring related to the organization and services provided by the centers. The Ombudsman is focused on addressing these issues, planning further monitoring, and preparing recommendations based on the findings.