2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

oth trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation
and forced labor. Other criminal statutes may be
used to prosecute and convict traffickers. Article
127 provides punishments of up to five years’
imprisonment for trafficking crimes; aggravating
circumstances may extend penalties up to 10 years’
imprisonment. These penalties are sufficiently
stringent and are commensurate with punishments
for other grave crimes, such as rape. In 2006,
police conducted 125 trafficking investigations;
106 of these investigations were sexual exploitation
cases and 19 were forced labor cases. This total
is a significant increase from 80 investigations in
2005. It is difficult to ascertain the exact number
of prosecutions and convictions in 2006 because
the Government of Russia does not collect and
maintain such statistics. Authorities conducted at
least 26 prosecutions during the reporting period,
compared to 53 prosecutions in 2005. At least 13
traffickers were convicted in 2006, compared to
nine in 2005. At least 14 traffickers received prison
sentences (some traffickers sentenced in 2006 were
convicted during the previous reporting period and
are reflected in the conviction statistics reported for
2005). Russia participated with other governments
in several international investigations, resulting in
the prosecution and conviction of traffickers both
in Russia and abroad. Trafficking-related corruption
remained a problem; however, Russia demonstrated
its growing commitment to address this corruption
by investigating and prosecuting a number of
government officials involved in trafficking.
The unlawful forced labor of young conscripts within
Russia’s military remained a serious problem; at
least 27 military officials, including army generals,
were investigated or prosecuted for unlawful labor
exploitation of soldiers under their command. One
officer was convicted and sentenced to five years in
prison for forcing his soldiers to work for a thirdparty
businessman. The Russian military is reported
to be investigating claims that male army conscripts
were forced into prostitution in St. Petersburg.
Protection
Russia demonstrated limited progress in its efforts
to protect and assist victims. The federal government,
through the Public Chamber, provided grants
to three anti-trafficking NGOs in early 2007, including
a grant of approximately $17,000 to one NGO
that provides rehabilitation assistance to victims.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry reported assisting the
return to Russia of some victims of trafficking from
other countries. Although some local governments
provided in-kind and financial support to some
anti-trafficking NGOs, it appears the majority of aid
to NGOs providing victim assistance was provided
by international donors. Russia relies on regional
and municipal-run domestic violence and homeless
shelters as well as crisis centers and anti-trafficking
NGOs to provide trafficking victims with shelter,
and legal, medical, and psychological assistance. In
the absence of available shelters some trafficking
victims did not receive assistance. The comprehensive
anti-trafficking legislation, in development
since 2003, would strengthen assistance to trafficking
victims, better define the rights of trafficking
victims, create a centralized authority to coordinate
national anti-trafficking efforts, and allocate specified
funding for anti-trafficking programs.
Police in various communities have increasingly
encouraged victims to participate in trafficking
investigations and prosecutions, partially attributed
to specialized anti-trafficking training for police
and prosecutors. The government permits victims
to reside in Russia pending the investigation and
prosecution of their trafficker.
Prevention
Russia demonstrated progress in public awareness
and prevention efforts during the reporting period.
In January 2007, Russia enacted a new migration
law that simplified the registration process for
migrant workers in Russia and requires workers
to register directly with the state; the previous
law required employers to confiscate passports
and other travel documents in order to register
workers with the state, thereby making migrant
workers more vulnerable to trafficking. In August,
the Primorskiy Kray government sponsored a
journalism competition, awarding a cash prize for
the best new article on trafficking. Primorskiy Kray
authorities also paid for the production of posters
warning of the dangers of human trafficking and
printed 30,000 pamphlets providing advice and
information for Russians choosing to work abroad;
these pamphlets were handed out at employment
agencies and at ports-of-entry.
RWANDA (Tier 2)
Rwanda is a source country for children trafficked
within the country for the purposes of domestic
servitude and commercial sexual exploitation.
Small numbers of impoverished Rwandan girls,
typically heads of households between the ages of
14 and 18, engage in prostitution as a means of
survival; some are exploited by loosely organized
networks of older girls and women. In 2006 and
early 2007, troops loyal to a renegade Congolese
general reportedly recruited an unknown number
of children for forced labor and soldiering from
refugee camps in Rwanda.
The Government of Rwanda does not fully comply
with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to
do so. Bureaucratic inefficiencies and severe resource
constraints contributed to the government’s lack of
comprehensive data on victims and law enforcement
action. To enhance its anti-trafficking efforts, the
R W A N D A
175