VII. RIGHT TO HEALTH AND PERSONS IN DETENTION

78. Certain conditions and situations as described by the prison medical staff were cause for concern, especially in light of the Standard Minimum Rules. For example, there is no routine examination provided to the prisoners upon admission. In the Special Rapporteur’s opinion, such a routine check is necessary, in order to accurately and adequate determine the incarcerated persons’ health needs.

Furthermore, people who use drugs were kept in unnecessary isolation from the rest of the prison population. Moreover, in cases of homosexual detainees, prison staff follow an isolation procedure, during which time these prisoners receive psychological “treatment” and are kept apart from the rest of the prison population for no reason besides their sexual orientation or gender identity. In each of these cases stigma is reinforced, vulnerable detainees are discriminated against, and there is a resulting deprivation of the enjoyment of the right to health without meaningful public health benefit.

Link to full text of the report: Mission report-SR Health-Syria-2011-eng