August 2, 2024 Update

Call to action

Juba Discharged, but Still Subject to Forced Drugging

July 15, 2024.

Juba has been freed from the CISSS de Laval institution in Quebec!  It is unknown to what extent the MindFreedom Shield Alert might have resulted in freeing Juba, but he was locked up for five or six months before his Alert went out and was freed within a month of his Alert being issued.

Even though he has been freed from confinement, because of a judge’s order, Dr. Ali Jaber is still able to force injections of Invega Sustenna on Juba.

Juba would like people to advocate to stop this ongoing assault.

After 1:00 EST on weekday afternoons, you can reach Dr. Ali Jaber’s secretary by calling the psychiatry office at 1-450-662-3665.  A recording will play menu options in French; press 3 and then 6 to get through.

Otherwise, call CISSS Laval’s main line at 1-450-668-1010.   For Reception, press 0. You can ask for Dr. Ali Jaber, or just share your message with the receptionist.

Points To Emphasize:
– Invega can cause Parkinson’s-like effects and other adverse effects that themselves require more drugs to treat, which the judge even acknowledged in his ruling, and the Invega Sustenna injections create even worse side effects.
– The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has identified this kind of forced drugging as cruel and unusual treatment.
– People all over the world are watching Juba’s abuse!

You can also send your demands for Juba’s rights to the information office of CISSS Laval at: informations.cissslav@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.

Here are sample messages you can use, in English and French:

“My name is___. I am sending you this email because I am concerned about your patient Juba Mahiou. I understand Juba has been forced to take Invega Sustenna against his will. He has also been denied his right to a fair court hearing by not being allowed to present evidence of his competency. I ask that you allow Juba to cease the medication as he wishes.”

“Je m’appelle ___. Je vous envoie ce courriel parce que je m’inquiète pour votre patient Juba Mahiou. Je comprends que Juba a été contraint de prendre des Invega Sustenna contre son gré. Il a également été privé de son droit à un procès équitable en n’étant pas autorisé à présenter des preuves de sa compétence. Je vous demande de permettre à Juba d’arrêter le traitement s’il le souhaite.””

 

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July 11, 2024.  We have heard from Juba that he was indeed let out of the psychiatric prison at which he was confined, but still being subjected to forced drugging.  He requests people to keep calling Ali Jaber to have this stopped.  See information below on how to contact Jaber.

Please comment below sharing the actions you have taken.  The system requires us to approve comments so it may take a bit of time for it to show up.

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Juba Freed?

July 2, 2024.  Juba thought he was going to be released and the hospital says there is nobody there by that name, which usually means the person has been freed.

Free Juba!

June 6, 2024.  Juba Mahiou, a young man who immigrated with his family to Quebec, has been detained for over six months in a psychiatric ward. Today we are asking you to call in solidarity, to demand his immediate release.

He has been detained since December of 2023 in the “Centre Intégré de Santé et de Services Sociaux de Laval,” an institution near Montreal.

Much of this has stemmed from conflict with his father when he lived with his family. Last winter, after a heated argument with his father, the family called the police and the police forced Juba into the hospital. Mental health programs will often treat problems between family members, as problems within the person with least power in the conflict.

A previous court ruling was made in Juba’s favor in March of 2018, when Juba was taken to a hospital and Judge Marie-France Biche ruled there was no grounds to keep him there against his will. This time, in a May 21, 2024 Juba Mahiou Order, however, Judge Chantale Massé said Juba was “lying to get out of the hospital,” and imposed a 45-day detention on him. Juba is now also being forced to take the powerful long-acting drug Invega Sustenna against his will.  See, English Translation of Order.

The judges and psychiatrists have also treated it as “psychosis” when Juba has talked about xenophobia he experienced as an immigrant, and labeled him with “delusional disorder.”

Juba says, “On December 7, 2023, the police transported me once again to the hospital in the psychiatry department in which I am still there. Every time I try to leave the hospital [the doctor] tells me I’m just lying to get out of the hospital. Psychiatrists say that I am mentally ill because I say that I am the victim of discrimination, I say there is a lack of impartiality among judges.”

When volunteers called Juba, he discussed with us how he was familiar with Dr. Jonathan Metzl’s work, “The Protest Psychosis,” and how many activists in America were called “delusional” for talking about oppression.

After his initial court hearing in January, Juba went back to court, hoping to move his next hearing date. Instead a “Safeguard Order” was imposed on him by Judge Louis Charette. Juba was also not allowed to present evidence at his own hearing, such as evaluations from psychologist Arturo Castellanos that affirmed Juba’s competency, which the judge rushed past and refused to discuss.

It is now over six months that Juba Mahiou has been trapped in this pattern of indefinite detention. He says, “This drug is supposedly to cure me, but I cannot work or do anything on it, there is just no way to live like this.”

We are asking you to call psychiatrist Dr. Ali Jaber and demand that Juba Mahiou be allowed to cease taking Invega Sustenna and be allowed to go home!

Call 1-450-668-1010. 

Call CISSS Laval’s main line at 1-450-668-1010. For Reception, press 0.

You can ask for Dr. Ali Jaber, or just share your statement for him with the receptionist.

After 1:00 EST in the afternoon, you can reach Dr. Ali Jaber’s secretary by calling the psychiatry office at: 450-662-3665.

A recording will play menu options in French; press 3 and then 6 to get through.

You can also send your demands for Juba’s freedom to the information office of CISSS Laval at: informations.cissslav@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.

Here are sample messages you can use, in English and French:

“My name is___. I am sending you this email because I am concerned about your patient Juba Mahiou. I understand Juba has been forced to take medication against his will. He has also been denied his right to a fair court hearing by not being allowed to present evidence of his competency. I ask that you allow Juba to cease the medication if he wishes and, furthermore, that he be released immediately.”

“Je m’appelle ___. Je vous envoie ce courriel parce que je m’inquiète pour votre patient Juba Mahiou. Je comprends que Juba a été contraint de prendre des médicaments contre son gré. Il a également été privé de son droit à un procès équitable en n’étant pas autorisé à présenter des preuves de sa compétence. Je vous demande de permettre à Juba d’arrêter le traitement s’il le souhaite et, en outre, de le libérer immédiatement.”

You can also call the Committee of CISSS Laval Users at: 450-978-8609 and email them at: cucssslaval@outlook.com about protecting Juba from this attack on his liberty and health.

Please recognize that Juba is at risk of retaliation and you are supporting Juba under the MindFreedom banner, so we ask you to take these into account when you call or write.

Also, please comment below sharing the actions you have taken.  The system requires us to approve comments so it may take a bit of time for it to show up.

And if you or other allies speak French, please be in touch through the comment section below or at office@mindfreedom.org to help cross the language divide for us.