Autumn School "The rights of persons with disabilities and coercive medical treatment"

Between October 6-9, 2025, the audience of the National Institute of Justice participated in the autumn school "The rights of persons with disabilities and treatment by medical coercion". Trainee lawyers, as well as state-guaranteed legal aid lawyers interested in deepening their knowledge in the field of human rights and mental health, also took part in the event.

The training program was supported by Vanu Jereghi, director of the Moldovan Human Rights Institute and human rights expert, Arcadie Astrahan, mental health expert and psychiatrist, and Ion Caracuian, expert in criminal policies and procedures, including in the field of preventing torture and other ill-treatment. In addition to the theoretical sessions, the participants made a study visit to a specialized medical institution, which provided them with a practical perspective on the topic addressed.

During the training, essential topics were addressed, such as the evolution of the concept of disability and the transition from the medical to the social model, the types and general criteria for identifying mental disorders, the connections between mental and legal capacity. International standards and the new protection paradigm established by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the national regulatory framework and specific accommodation measures, adapted according to the nature of the condition, were also analyzed. A special emphasis was placed on the regulation of coercive medical treatment, judicial and extrajudicial protective measures, as well as the challenges identified in their application.

The initiative was organized by Amnesty International Moldova, in partnership with the National Institute of Justice, The Institute for Human Rights of Moldova, the Training Center for Lawyers and National Council for Legal Assistance Guaranteed by the State.