Russia raids rehab centre where addicts 'handcuffed to beds'

MOSCOW: Russian investigators on Thursday opened a criminal probe into a rehabilitation centre in Siberia where alcoholics and drug addicts were handcuffed to beds, charging the facility's management with unlawful imprisonment.

Special forces and national guard officers in flack jackets raided the centre in country's the latest crackdown on private clinics promising to cure addicts with brutal"cold turkey" methods.The facility in the Omsk region some 2,200 kilometres east of Moscow isolated addicts from society and prevented them walking around freely, the Investigative Committee, which probes high-profile cases, said in a statement.

"Staff used locks, metal bars on windows, handcuffs to chain people to beds and also dumbbells that were attacked to patients' legs."The centre's chief and his deputy face charges of unlawful imprisonment and risk prison terms of up to five years. Investigators said the head of the centre had no medical qualification or licence to operate.

The centre also handcuffed addicts and has been raided numerous times but has also won praise from some for offering an alternative to state-funded treatment.In 2016, 12 people died when a fire swept through a rehab centre with barred windows in central Russia. Russia controversially opposes supplying heroin addicts with the safer substitute methadone, which is internationally seen as effective.

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Venezuela's debts to China, Russia would be restructured: Guaido advisorGUAYAQUIL, Ecuador: Loans to Venezuela from President Nicolas Maduro's allies Russia and China would be renegotiated though the Paris Club if ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

US complains after Russia denies visas to embassy school teachersMOSCOW (REUTERS) - The United States accused Russia on Wednesday (July 17) of using children as pawns, after Moscow rejected visas for dozens of new teachers at an English-language school set up by the US, British and Canadian embassies in Moscow for the children of diplomats.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »

EU to Russia on MH17: Accept responsibility and cooperateKUALA LUMPUR — The Council of the European Union (EU Council) has called on Russia to accept responsibility and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »

Russia and West spar at UN over minority rights in UkraineUNITED NATIONS: Russia on Tuesday (Jul 16) slammed new legislation declaring Ukrainian to be the national language of Ukraine, during a meeting of ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Russia fines Google for failing to filter search resultsMOSCOW: Russia's communications watchdog fined Google 700,000 roubles (US$11,100) on Thursday for failing to fulfil legal requirements to remove ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

US senator calls for investigation into FaceAppPopular Russia-based application FaceApp, which allows users to change their appearance to look older or younger, came under fire in the United ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »