Human Trafficking in  [Azerbaijan]  [other countries]
Street Children in  [Azerbaijan]  [other countries]
Child Prostitution in  [Azerbaijan]  [other countries]
 

Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery

Republic of Azerbaijan                                                               [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Republic of Azerbaijan, in Transcaucasia [map], is situated at the gateway to SW Asia and is bounded by Iran (S), where the Aras River divides it from Iranian Azerbaijan; by the Caspian Sea (E), by Russia's Dagestan Republic (N), and by Armenia (W).  Baky (Baku) is its capital.  Azerbaijan shares all the formidable problems of the former Soviet republics in making the transition from a command to a market economy, but its considerable energy resources brighten its long-term prospects.

Azerbaijan is primarily a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and some children from Azerbaijan are trafficked to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Men and boys are trafficked to Russia for the purpose of forced labor. Men and women are also trafficked to Iran, Pakistan, the U.A.E., and India for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Azerbaijan serves as a transit country for victims from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Moldova trafficked to Turkey and the U.A.E. for sexual exploitation. The Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan serves as a transit point for women trafficked to Turkey.   - U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2008   [full country report]

 

 

CAUTION:  The following links have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Azerbaijan.  Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated or even false.  No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

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Azerbaijan probes child-organ traffickers

The Azerbaijani government says it is keen to crack down on child traffickers who are believed to take children abroad and sell their organs for profit.

 

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Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS – Women and girls were trafficked internally from rural areas to the capital for sexual exploitation, men were trafficked to Turkey and Russia for forced labor, and boys were trafficked internally for begging. Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans, and migrants from South Asia were smuggled through the country to Europe—particularly Germany, Sweden, France, and the Netherlands—and to the US, where they at times had their passports confiscated and were subjected to forced labor. Traffickers generally targeted women. Refugees, IDPs, and the rural poor faced a higher risk of being trafficked.

Traffickers were either foreigners or ethnic Azerbaijanis who acted in loose concert with international networks. They approached victims directly and indirectly through friends and relatives, usually offering to arrange employment abroad. Traffickers also used deceptive newspaper advertisements offering false work abroad. Traffickers reportedly used forged documents to move victims. Traffickers also used fraudulent marriage proposals from men posing as Iranian businessmen to lure women into prostitution in neighboring Iran. Some families willingly married their daughters to wealthy Iranians without concern for the actual outcome.

Victims of Human Trafficking to Receive Compensation in Azerbaijan

The victims of human trafficking will receive compensation in Azerbaijan, said Azerbaijan’s Deputy Interior Minister, Vilayat Eyvazov, at the press-conference on 11 December.

He added that a Refuge Center was established in Baku and next year, four such centers will be established in the regions. The victims of human trafficking will pass 15 days rehabilitation (if necessary 30 days) here. These periods for children have been determined depending on the heaviness of the case.

Officials May Sponsor among Human Trafficking – Azerbaijani Deputy Internal Minister

Most human trafficking victims were women aged 18 to 40 years old. The women are brought over from Middle Asia, Russia, Ukraine and Moldova to Azerbaijan and then transported to other countries.

In 2006 and 2007 there have not been any juveniles amongst the human trafficking victims, Eyvazov said. There were no juvenile trafficking cases in 2004 and one was registered in 2005.

Azerbaijan’s National Coordinator to Combat Human Trafficking Reported before Parliamentarians

As a result of preventive and operative measures in Azerbaijan in 2004-2006, some 689 human trafficking incidents have been discovered and 695 people have been held criminally responsible, the National Coordinator to Combat Human Trafficking, Deputy Interior Minister, Vilayat Eyvazov, stated on 19 October at the Parliament while presenting his annual report

Number Of Human Trafficking Cases Increased In Azerbaijan

http://eng.primenewsonline.com/news/130/ARTICLE/15474/2007-09-19.html

Some 211 crimes linked with human trafficking were registered in Azerbaijan in 2006. Criminal proceedings were instituted against 107 people.

Within the first six months in 2006, 187 crimes were registered, forty-four on human trafficking, 116 on brothels, and twenty-two for luring people into prostitution.

So far for 2007, criminal cases were filed against 112 people, with seventy-two of them connected to human trafficking.

Network of Lawyers Established to Combat Human Trafficking in Azerbaijan

A network of lawyers has been established to combat human trafficking in Azerbaijan, Nazir Guliyev, heading the Juridical Assistance Fund of ‘World of Peace’, said on 29 August.  The aim of the network is to inform the public about the problems of human trafficking and to render assistance to its victims. Thirty-three lawyers will work within the network.  A lack of awareness is the main cause contributing to human trafficking. Youths are the most victims of human trafficking.

Trafficking – Serious Problem for Azerbaijan

http://www.demaz.org/cgi-bin/e-cms/vis/vis.pl?s=001&p=0056&n=001094&g=

Victim of human trafficking told how she found herself within the net of criminal elements - Rafiga understood that she was deceived. But as her neighbor had her passport she tried to persuade “mama Rosa” to give back her document. However, woman told that Rafiga is her debtor as her marriage and ticket purchase were very expensive. “I will return your passport when you work a debt out, and you will be free”, “mama Rosa told”.

Hotline will be opened for victims of human trafficking

In nearest future hot line will be opened for victims of human trafficking In Baku, at present talks continue with the government related to this matter.

With the support of the United States Embassy and OSCE, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) conducted training for the future staff of a hotline and shelter for trafficked victims.

In Baku, for the trafficking victims there was allocated separate building

In compliance with the instruction of the Cabinet in Baku there was allocated three-floor building for arrangement of the asylum with the purpose of ensuring safety of the victims and proposed victims and also eye-witnesses of trafficking and deliver psychological, medical and legal assistance to them.

Russian Crime Boss Arrested On Sex Trafficking

A reputed crime boss from the former Soviet Union has been arrested on charges he ran a brutal sex trafficking ring in Brooklyn, NY.  Asker Mammedov, 31, was accused of importing women from Azerbaijan and forcing them to work for little or no pay as prostitutes.

The Protection Project - Azerbaijan

FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE TRAFFICKING INFRASTRUCTURE - Poor social and economic conditions for women and children make them vulnerable to trafficking. Women’s lower social status and lack of decently paid work opportunities compel them to seek employment outside of Azerbaijan.  Furthermore, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the social welfare system ceased to function effectively in Azerbaijan, thereby forcing many children onto the streets, where they are vulnerable to exploitation. - htsccp

Freedom House Country Report - Political Rights: 6   Civil Liberties: 5   Status: Not Free

Human Rights Overview by Human Rights Watch – Defending Human Rights Worldwide

Stop Violence Against Women – Country Page

U.S. Library of Congress - Country Study

Azerbaijan Human Rights Report

Traffickers identified by the IOM were either foreigners or ethnic Azerbaijanis who acted in loose international networks, probably without central coordination. Victims were approached directly and indirectly through friends and relatives. Traffickers also used newspaper advertisements offering false work abroad. According to the Society for the Defense of Women's Rights, draft-age men seeking to escape military service in 2000 were invited by local traffickers to work in the hotel industry in Turkey, but ended up in male brothels; however, the IOM was not aware of such reports. Another NGO reported that families of young women had been approached by individuals claiming that visiting Iranian businessmen had seen their daughters and wished to marry them. Following parental permission for such marriages, the women were transported to Iran to work as prostitutes. According to the IOM, families sometimes willingly married their daughters to wealthy men in Iran and turned a blind eye to their outcomes.

Azerbaijan Adopts Action Plan Against Human Trafficking

The OSCE Office in Baku today welcomed the adoption by Azerbaijan of a national action plan to co-ordinate all efforts in the fight against human trafficking.

"The events in this sphere represent the most rapid progress anywhere, from a starting point in November 2002, when the existence of trafficking in human beings was not recognised, to the adoption of the National Action Plan," he added.  The document is a result of the close co-operation between the Azerbaijani Government and institutions and the international partners. It is in line with the spirit and provisions of the OSCE documents on the prevention of trafficking in human beings, which commit all participating States to take actions to eradicate human trafficking.

Azerbaijan probes child-organ traffickers

The Azerbaijani government says it is keen to crack down on child traffickers who are believed to take children abroad and sell their organs for profit.

Adoption - Azerbaijan Alert !

Both international and domestic adoptions have been suspended for reasons that include an investigation of a hospital that has possible involvement in domestic child trafficking, and serious concerns about corruption and transparency in international adoptions.

Human trafficking in Azerbaijan

Many victims of trafficking are mostly taken to Turkey, Pakistan, Greece and the United Arab Emirates. At the same time, people from Russia, Moldova, Uzbekistan and Ukraine are taken to Azerbaijan for sex work. According to calculations, criminals can earn from 12,000 to 15,000 dollars from each person monthly.

Opponents of Human Trafficking from Transcaucasia Tour U.S. to Share Information

Nine government and police officials from the three republics of Transcaucasia--Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia--visited UCLA January 24 as part of a 21-day set of consultations in the United States on methods to stop trafficking in human beings for prostitution, slave labor, and domestic slavery.

Azerbaijan braces for "thousands" of Iraqi refugees - migration official

The head of the Azerbaijani centre for legal aid to migrants, Alovsat Aliyev, has said that the country might become flooded by thousands of Iraqi refugees in the event of a US operation against Iraq. He told the Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho that it was necessary to amend the migration law to curb illegal human trafficking as it damages the country's image abroad and causes distrust in Azerbaijan.

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Human Trafficking in  [Azerbaijan]  [other countries]
Street Children in  [Azerbaijan]  [other countries]
Child Prostitution in  [Azerbaijan]  [other countries]