From: Elina Karakulova (ekarakulova@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Jul 31 2003 - 15:16:47 EDT
KAZAKHSTAN ATTACKS HUMAN TRAFFICKING
In reaction to a U.S. State Department charge that Kazakhstan has done little to stop trafficking in human beings, the country's law enforcement agencies have drawn up a series of measures for fighting this type of crime, khabar.kz reported on 30 July, quoting Sergei Dospolov, head of the foreign relations department of the Prosecutor-General's Office. According to khabar.kz, human trafficking is the third most profitable crime in Kazakhstan, after drug and arms trafficking. Dospolov said that the State Department assertion was based partly on the fact that no sentences were handed down in 2002 for crimes related to human trafficking, but he argued that such crimes can be difficult to investigate because the victims are sent abroad. He asserted that Kazakh police receive tips from nongovernmental organizations indicating that hundreds of Kazakh citizens are trafficked every year. He said police constantly check tourist agencies, which are most frequently involved in trafficking, but he admitted that there have been almost no prosecutions for trafficking-related crimes. Five criminal cases of this type are now under investigation, he added. The country's law enforcement agencies are now awaiting government confirmation of their proposed anti-trafficking measures. BB
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