Forgive me for a hasty and under-researched answer - I'm on vacation
now, without files or links. I was following Arap case for semi-
professional reasons (I used to work at the Dept of Psychiatry - but
of course I'm NOT in any way a trained psychiatrist, and I do know a
couple of professionals closely). As an economist would say, the
"stylized facts" of the case, as reported mostly in Lukin statements
and her supporters' blogs, are as follows:

1) The woman has a history of being in mental institution as recently
as 2004.

Which means that by Russian rules, she is still being watched -
"sostoit na uchete" - the common term should be 5 years.

2) Her message IS strange.

She wrote an article about a lot of things, including presumable
problems with psychiatric care of children in Murmanks region. Then
she gave something like an interview to another activist, full of
heart-rendering details, such as under-age girl raped during classes
in an elite school, and mother being sent to a mental facility to
cover up the story. Such stories I (usually) hear from people I'd
designate as "exalted" at least. I NEVER believe stories told in such
manner - of course, there could be some facts in them. Still, the
style of the story tells a lot about troubled soul of the storyteller,
but much less about the facts.

3) No PROFESSIONAL disputes her problems.

Independent comission, headed by Yury Savenko, head of Independent
Association of Psychiatrists of Russia, did not dispute her illness.
Savenko himself said that "there is no politics" involved - at worst,
local medical bosses trying to save face.

4) Hospital stay MAY be to her own good.

The (professional) argument during the first court hearing (that
refused to let her go) was where her state would be better: at home,
if she takes pills prescribed by Savenko's commission (that might be a
big if with some patients, and she apparently had to promise in court
to take them), or at hospital, where the staff can control her intake.

In short, this is a classical case of a professional dispute. As
a son of two medics, I've heard so many stories of those over the
years. Sometimes there's a clear negligence, sometimes it's really
hard to make a call. But it's so easy to go bitching about doctors and
their wicked ways and to assume the worst.

Another problem I have with this story is that the woman's
condition has been broadcast to the whole world for political gain by
the Kasparov gang. No one but her devoted husband would care about
what might happen to her if she lapses on her medication, for example.
Another human life trampled by aspiring politicians.

That's why I personally find it very disturbing that you are
"VERY pleased" with the way Russian press has covered the story. It's
been worse than dancing on the graves - some of them were using a sick
woman to get political traction, but for the majority it was just
another hot gossip to attact readers. Utterly disgusting.

We haven't said anything about being pleased with what the Russian press has done. We despise the Russian press and think they've fallen down on this story just as on every other story they "cover."

Solzhenitsyn's condition was also broadcast. Does that mean he wasn't really persecuted by Stalin?

Don't you make room for the possibility that someone could find your comment "strange""? Does that mean you're fair game for a Russian mental hospital? Ever seen the inside of one?

"Under-researched" is not the term for claiming she's been in mental hospitals before. Without a link to proof, the word is libel.

After review, it was determined that there were no grounds to involuntary commit her, much less medicate her. Nuff said.

If you think her being associated with Kasparov means it ISN'T suspicious, we must disagree. Please find us an example of a NASHI member who's been treated this way. Or is it impossible for a NASHI member to BE mentally ill in your view?

In the end, the only thing that matters is that (a) she criticized the regime and (b) she got sent to the loony bin as if it's "crazy" to do so. That's what happened in the USSR. The world is right to panic when it sees it happen again. In fact, this story has been under-reported, not over-reported.

from guzhy:
as for arap's mental condition--- time will tell. she'll do interviews and such and her condition will become clear.
all i can add is a reminder that vladimir bukovsky spent years in soviet psychiatric wards. he too was diagnosed as being unstable, and he's as lucid, sane and intelligent as they come. i'm now reading his memoir, To Build A Castle. The book is a fountain of wisdom, insight and clarity. and again, i repeat, he too was branded as mentally unstable.
history at least indicates arap is probably perfectly normal and was a victim of abuse.

GUZHY:

Long time no see! Welcome back! If you are so inclined, we invite you to submit a personal reflection on Anna Politkovskaya, as we are going to collect stories about her for publication on the one-year anniversary of her murder, which is coming up in just over a month.

another opinion - as a psych person, for starters, if Larisa Arap was a Schizophrenic or Bipolar I, she'd most likely have prior psych hospitalizations as they are very disabling diseases, she also would unlikely have had a succesful career as a lucid and functioning journalist.

It's rather suspicious isn't it, that the author of an expose on psychiatric abuse, regardless if she was a comsumer of psych services at some point in the past, was held against her will.

Journalists are getting killed in Russia for their exposes.