COVID 19-RELATED STIGMATIZATION: A HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH

Abstract

The aim: The article attempts to analyze what are legal responses to such Covid-19 related challenge like stigmatization. Materials and methods: Given the specifics of the topic and goals, during the writing of the article were used methods of terminological research of the phenomena “stigma”, “stigmatization”, comparative method, formal-legal method (in the study of international documents). The following materials were used to reveal the topic: scientific papers (articles, book chapters, analytical materials, reports, etc.), international legal acts, court decisions (decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, decisions of the US Supreme Court, decisions of national courts of different countries). Conclusions: More than a year after the spread start of Covid-19, it has become clear that in addition to the extremely catastrophic impact on human health and life, the pandemic, as well as the resulting quarantine restrictions, have profound and sometimes radical social consequences. Stigmatization of based on their infection with Covid-19 (including possible) has become one of these. The current international human rights framework allows for the assessment of such processes according to its standards. Implications of dignity and privacy as the highest social values pave the way to finding legal mechanisms to protect people who are carriers of a disease from being stigmatized. This is demonstrated by the legal justifications developed by the courts – the ECtHR as supranational and national Supreme and federal courts, which have been the subject of analysis within this article.