The concept of the "Soviet syndrome of mental and nervous diseases" in action

In recent developments, ADR activist Ziyafat Abbasova has gone missing after visiting Academy Park. Despite numerous attempts to contact her, she has remained unresponsive. However, it has now come to light that Ms. Abbasova was apprehended by Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel, leading to rumors that she may have been targeted due to her affiliation with the opposition. Jamil Hasanli, a professor of history, reflects on this in his Facebook post.

According to Hasanli, the "Bandotdel" (The Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime), operating under direct control of the presidential administration, has long been considered a political and secret police force. Their responsibilities include the persecution and torture of opposition members and critics, systematic use of administrative offenses against dissidents, and the creation of a climate of fear within society. Reports even suggest that they employ tactics of intimidation and coercion.

Drawing historical parallels, Hasanli, a renowned researcher of Soviet and German totalitarianism, likens such organizations to the IV department of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, the 4th department of state security bodies under the NKVD, and the 5th department of the KGB in the USSR. Their primary objective was to solidify support for existing structures, be it fascism, socialism, or the ruling parties and leaders. Those who opposed these ideologies were ostracized and sent to camps, concentration camps, or psychiatric hospitals.

Unfortunately, a similar incident has now occurred in our country, with Ms. Abbasova forcibly placed in Neuropsychiatric Dispensary No. 1 in Mashtag, effectively cutting her off from society.

Nurlan Aliyev, an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs press service, refutes the allegations of her detention and claims that she was placed in the institution based on complaints from other residents of her shelter and her own health condition. He states that she is currently undergoing treatment.

However, Hasanli raises several disconcerting points regarding this situation. Firstly, the ministry representative fails to explain why a citizen can be forcefully placed in a psychiatric institution solely based on complaints from fellow citizens. Secondly, who assessed Ms. Abbasova's health condition? Was it the "Bandotdel" or a specialized medical institution? Thirdly, it is crucial to note that the law stipulates that only a court can make the decision to involuntarily admit an individual for treatment. Neither Ministry of Interior nor any derived organization, such as the "Bandotdel," possesses the authority to diagnose a citizen and send them to a psychiatric hospital. Regrettably, similar violations of the law have been observed in the cases of frontline soldier Agil Gumbatov and teenager Muhammad, where religious authorities exceeded their jurisdiction.

Hasanli points out that this echoes the practices of the Soviet KGB, which fabricated the concept of the "Soviet syndrome of mental and nervous diseases" to suppress dissidents and free-thinkers. Any form of protest against the Soviet system, communist ideology, or Soviet leadership was deemed a severe nervous shock, resulting in the forced hospitalization of thousands with such a diagnosis. The actions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the "Bandotdel" today bear a striking resemblance to this troubling historical precedent, emphasizes Jamil Hasanli.