Russia: hotline for people who have suffered abuse in drug rehabilitation centres.
Russia has set up a hotline for victims in rehabilitation centres
08.12.2025
Article published on the ASI website
The launch of the hotline comes amid a wave of scandals surrounding rehabilitation centres.
The Second Chance Foundation for People with Drug Addictions and the New People Party have announced the launch of a hotline to help people who have suffered abuse and human rights violations in rehab centres.
“The country has heard a series of alarming tales in recent weeks: centre closures, reports of cruelty and violence, stories of those who came for treatment but instead found themselves essentially held hostage. People need to be protected but carefully and sensibly, not by dismantling the entire support system”, said Vladislav Davankov, First Deputy Head of the New People Party, on his Telegram channel.
Those behind this initiative are critical of radical proposals put forward by their colleagues, who have called for a “review of all rehab centres” and a ban on “unproven methods”. They believe that risking the closure of all centres could leave many people to cope on their own without support.
According to the hotline’s authors, there is a major systemic problem. Russia still lacks a single, generally accepted standard and up-to-date rehabilitation methods, nor does it have a register of approved centres. The sector currently relies on individual initiatives led by experts, while hundreds of institutions provide support by offering medical supervision and professional therapy.
Davankov also said that the Foundation will be hosting a roundtable discussion in the State Duma with rehab centres, doctors, lawyers and experts during which they will focus on “methods, standards and rules that will ensure people receive help, not abuse”.
