19 October 2007, 12:06
Over 700 cases of trafficking registered for 3 years in Azerbaijan
Starting from 2004, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Azerbaijan has registered over 700 cases of trafficking (trading in people). Only in the period from 2004 to 2006, 689 criminal cases of this sort were considered. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it at the Azerbaijani MIA.
A MIA source has reported that during this period, over 700 persons were brought to criminal liability, 273 victims of trafficking were revealed, 83 criminal groups were neutralized, and 240 women who used to render intimate services were brought to administrative responsibility. According to his data, special services are constantly contacting their colleagues from other countries and revealing victims of trafficking from among citizens of Azerbaijan.
We note here that the National Coordination Board for Fighting Trafficking was created in 2004. For the period from 2004 to 2007, 54 rehabilitation centres for victims of trafficking in people were created in Azerbaijan. Vilayat Eivazov, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, is the National Coordinator for fighting trafficking.
Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in August in Azerbaijan a woman-resident of the city of Sumgaity was detained for trafficking in women. Her name was Besteri Gyulshen. She was accused of concussing Azerbaijani women to render intimate services in Turkey.
Late in July in Azerbaijan two women-residents of the city of Baku - Saadet Alieva and Matanet Aslanova - were detained on suspicion of trading in people with the aim of their subsequent sexual exploitation; they were accused of trafficking women to the United Arab Emirates (Dubai).
According to human rights activist Leila Yunus, the number of the crimes connected with trafficking is growing from year to year in Azerbaijan, but the authorities conceal the truth. In its turn, the "Clean World" Public Association is also asserting that the women sold abroad are used in sex-industry and for transplantation of organs.
Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent
