Turkey accused of abusing patients with electric shocks

A WASHINGTON-BASED human rights group has accused Turkey of subjecting mental health patients to serious abuses, including electric shock treatment without anaesthesia, and is urging the European Union to demand an end to the practices.

Mental Disability Rights International published the report days before Turkey is scheduled to start negotiations to join the European Union. Human rights will be included in the discussions beginning Monday.

People with mental or psychiatric disorders are “subjected to treatment practices that are tantamount to torture”, the report said.