CONTENTS Page Brief re the Soviet abuse of phychiatry prepared by Dr. Norman B. Hirt for the consideration of the Section of Psychiatry, British Columbia Medi- Resolution adopted by the executive body of the Section of Psychiatry, British Columbia Medical Association, December 21, 1970---- Resolution adopted by the board of directors of the Canadian Psychiatric Resolution adopted by the executive board of the World Federation of Men- tal Health meeting in Hong Kong, November 25, 1971----- Statement on "Mental Health and Freedom of Conscience" approved by the council of management of the (British) National Association for Mental Cable from the president of the American Psychiatric Association to Prof. A. V. Snezhnevsky, All-Union Society of Psychiatrists, Moscow---- Statement by the British Royal College of Psychiatrists___ Notes on the quarterly meeting of the British Royal College of Psychia- Letter to Prof. A. V. Snezhnevsky of the Soviet Institute of Psychiatry from the president of the American Psychoanalytic Association__------ Petition by Andrei Sakharov and other Soviet intellectuals on behalf of Statement on international cooperation in science adopted by the conven- tion of the American Association for the Advancement of Science meet- "The Sakharov Memorandum," by Andrei D. Sakharov, the New York Page Times, August 18, 1972-- 80 New York Times report on Sakharov warning, August 22, 1973__ 83 84 86 vember 27, 1973-- 87 "Prominent Psychiatrists Protest Confinement of Soviet Dissident," Psychiatric News, December 1973___ 87 "Mental Illness an Excuse to Lock up Many Russians, Psychiatrist Confirms," by Joan Hollobon, Toronto Globe and Mail, December 29, 1973--"Jail Horror for 7,000 Soviets," by Karen Moser, Ottawa Journal, October 3, 1974. 89 90 "Nonconformist Moscow Artists Charge Bid to Group to Break Up," New York Times, November 18, 1974____ "Two Letters on a Dissident's Situation," New York Times, July 5, 1974___ "The Poet V. A. Nekipelov Imprisoned in the Serbskii Institute," Posev, April 1974 92 93 95 "After 16 Years of Labor Camps-The Psychiatric Hospital," Posev, May 1974 96 "A Symbol of Solidarity," a statement by Viktor Fainberg, Posev, June 1974 99 "Notes From the Underground," Posev, June 1974 101 LETTERS OF TRANSMITTAL Hon. JAMES O. EASTLAND, NOVEMBER 26, 1974. Chairman, Internal Security Subcommittee, U.S. Senate, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: There is one item of unfinished business that I would very much like to see resolved before I leave the Senate. It involves the printing of a staff interview and documentation, for which I have prepared an introduction. In September of 1972 I served as Chairman of a hearing on "The Abuse of Psychiatry for Political Repression in the Soviet Union." On that occasion, we took the testimony of Dr. Alexander Yesenin-Volpin, a distinguished Soviet mathematician and poet who had survived five separate confinements in Soviet mental institutions. His testimony was supported by a massive documentation which had been smuggled out of the Soviet Union, and which was printed for the first time in the English language as part of the hearing record. This volume of testimony, I am informed, is now regarded as one of the standard documentary sources on this subject by scholars of Soviet affairs. Its publication also resulted in much favorable publicity, including several syndicated articles. At the time, it was agreed that we would try to follow up on this beginning by taking further testimony on the subject from Dr. Norman B. Hirt of Vancouver, Canada, who had made an in-depth study of the abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, although I had planned to preside over this hearing, a conflict in commitments made this impossible. His testimony was, therefore, taken by David Martin, with the participation of Al Tarabochia, in the form of a staff conference. Since that time, Dr. Hirt has sent us a jurat, sworn to before the American Consul in Vancouver, attesting to the truth of the statements he made in the conference. In addition, Dr. Hirt has sent the Subcommittee a supplementary documentation dealing with the progress that has been made in getting the psychiatric profession in the free world to take an organized stand on the subject. This documentation is up to date as of the first part of this year. The Subcommittee has also received translations of a number of documents dealing with the abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union, in terms of case histories, running as late as June, 1974. In the hope that it will be possible to print Dr. Hirt's testimony, together with the supporting documentation to which I have referred, I have prepared the attached introduction. As I stated in my opening remarks, I regard this as one of the more important items of unfinished business on my desk because I believe that its publication would make an important contribution to public and congressional understanding on a subject which bears a highly pertinent relationship to the security of the free world. With my thanks for your consideration and cooperation over the years that I have served with you in the Senate, Sincerely, Enclosure. Senator EDWARD J. GURNEY, Washington, D.C. EDWARD J. GURNEY, U.S. Senator. OCTOBER 1, 1974. DEAR SENATOR GURNEY: In November, 1972, I appeared before your committee to give my personal, researched evidence on the misuse of psychiatry as an instrument of political repression in the U.S.S.R. I understand that although this material has not been published, it is ready for publication. Since I have given this material, there has been an increase, not only in public, but professional interest in the material. Further, several international societies have made resolutions of condemnation and require further background material in order to create action on an international level on this matter. I have now personally made contact with the World Health Organization and am preparing, with others, to bring this matter into public view. Our Honorable Minister, Mr. Mitchell Sharp, has made an affirmative statement on this matter, and the matter was also personally brought to the attention of our Honorable Prime Minister, Mr. Pierre Trudeau. I would again like to thank yourself and the committee for the interest and action they have taken on this horrible and ongoing crime against humanity. The importance of the committee's work in this area cannot be underrated and it supersedes politics as it goes to the heart of the humanitarian ethic of medicine. Originally, in my testimony, I was somewhat critical of the larger medical bodies, such as the A.P.A., for their apparent silence in this matter. However, recent documents and followup work that I have done have indicated that many groups are now moving in a more affirmative and active direction. I am pleased, therefore, to submit additional documentation to be added to the original transcript of testimony that indicates the activities of psychiatric bodies around the world in a clearer perspective. I would therefore be pleased if these enclosed documents would be added to the appendix. Our activities will not cease until psychiatrists in the U.S.S.R. or elsewhere stop this kind of unethical medical malpractice, whether it be in the name of ideology or politics or policing rather than for medical reasons. In advance, thank you for your kind consideration and your most sincere interest in this matter. Yours sincerely, NORMAN B. HIRT, B.A., M.D., C.M., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, U.B.C. Medical School, Past INTRODUCTION (By SENATOR EDWARD J. GURNEY) When the matter of the abuse of psychiatry for political repression in the Soviet Union was raised at the conference of the World Psychiatric Association in Mexico in December 1971, the Soviet representatives offered strenuous objections to the resolution and the result was that no action was taken. In part this was due to a lack of knowledge and understanding among the participants in the conference; but the record suggests that the fear of offending the Soviet Union also played a major role in the final decision to do nothing. At that time, even psychiatrists who knew something about the situation in the Soviet Union and found it morally offensive were still not disposed to accuse the Soviet Government by name. This fear was reflected, for example, in the resolution passed 2 months before the Mexico conference by the American Psychiatric Association. This resolution read simply: Resolved that the American Psychiatric Association firmly opposes the misuse of psychiatric facilities for the detention of persons solely on the basis of their political dissent, no matter where it occurs. In September of 1972, I served as chairman of a hearing at which the Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security took the testimony of Dr. Alexander Sergeyovich Yesenin-Volpin, a distinguished Soviet mathematician and poet who had survived five separate confinements in Soviet mental institutions. He was committed to these institutions not because he was mentally ill, but because of his stubborn refusal to toe the Communist line. The testimony of Dr. Yesenin-Volpin, together with the supporting documentation, was published under the caption "The Abuse of Psychiatry for Political Repression in the Soviet Union." I have been pleased to hear from a number of sources that experts on Soviet affairs now regard this publication as a basic sourcebook on the subject-not only because of the intrinsic merit of Yesenin-Volpin's own testimony, but also because this is the only place where one can find, in English translation, the entire text of the many documents which Vladimir Bukovsky smuggled out of the Soviet Union.1 There has been a tendency in the free world to believe that only a small number of dissidents have been confined to mental institutions in the manner of General Grigorenko and Yesenin-Volpin. However, the testimony of Yesenin-Volpin and the documentation which was printed with it established that fraudulent mental confinement of political dissidents is practiced on a massive scale by the Soviet authorities. As Yesenin-Volpin points out, there are in the Soviet Union entire psychiatric hospitals, or so-called "Special Hospitals," which are used exclusively for patients-primarily political dissidents For bis exposure of Soviet psychiatric practice. Bukovsky was sentenced to 12 ٣٣. imprisonment and exile. A statement by Viktor Fainberg dealing with Bukovsky's plight appears on p. 99 of the appendix. |