A convicted person with permanent 100% disability, acquired after a traffic accident in 2009, was not able to perform in an unhindered manner his daily activities, physiological needs, nor attend regular physical and hydro therapy as a convicted person, alerted today the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights.
According to the Committee for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination (CPPD), direct prolonged discrimination on the basis of disability has been determined and violation of the right to equality and unequal treatment in enjoying the right to health care at primary, secondary and tertiary level while serving a prison sentence, executed by Idrizovo PCF. Prolonged discrimination is considered a more severe form of discrimination.
The CPPD acted upon an appeal of a convicted person from Skopje through his lawyer, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association, which was filed due to suspicion of committing direct discrimination on the basis of disability and violation of the right to equality and unequal treatment.
“The toilettes in the institution were too narrow, because of which the convicted person could not access them with his wheelchair, and because of the unadjusted showers, he had to shower in open areas, without any intimacy. He was not able to receive his prescribed regular therapy because in the institution there is no possibility for such health services. And because of the unadjusted infrastructure, he could not access the prison ambulance as well”, is stated in the announcement.
The CPPD has requested explanation from the Idrizovo PCF on this case, after which the institution informed that due to lack of funds, despite the renovation, the infrastructure was not improved in the direction of improving the living conditions of the prisoners, especially of those with a certain disability, because of which this person is treated in the mentioned way.
In the letter of the institution, it is indicated that the brother of the convicted person, who is also serving a prison sentence, has been helping him in performing his daily activities and because of this has refused to be transferred to the new semi-open ward where conditions are more appropriate. The statement of the convicted person was without an indicated date, so the period in which he was offered the transfer cannot be determined.
Furthermore, the Idrizovo PCF has informed that from time to time there are shortages of medicine, as well as inability to use health care at secondary and tertiary level due to the measures against COVID-19. In the institution itself, health care provides only 1 doctor, 1 dentist and 2 nurses. / Meta.mk
Translation: N. Cvetkovska
