VZCZCXRO1132
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHKB #0309/01 0590852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280852Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9721
INFO RUEHYE/AMEMBASSY YEREVAN 1016
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0515
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1501
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 1217
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT 1163
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0036
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0410
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 0001
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 BAKU 000309 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP; G; INL; DRL; PRM; IWI; AND EUR/CARC 
DEPT PLEASE PASS USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM KWMN PREF PGOV PHUM KFRD PREF ASEC ELAB
SMIG, EAID, AJ 
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN 2006 TIP REPORT SUBMISSION 
 
REF: STATE 3836 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1. (U) As per reftel, paragraph 3 below begins Embassy 
Baku's submission on status of action the GOAJ has taken on 
combating human trafficking.  Answers are keyed to questions 
in reftel. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In preparing this report, Post has undertaken 
extensive contacts with international organizations, 
domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and GOAJ 
officials, and has analyzed all available data.  Reliable 
statistics on trafficking in Azerbaijan do not exist, but 
more information is becoming available as the issue gains 
attention from international organizations, local NGOs, and 
the GOAJ.  To the extent that transnational trafficking 
occurs here, we believe that Azerbaijan is primarily a 
transit and source country, and not a major destination 
point.  Internal trafficking, primarily of women for work in 
the sex industry, is a problem.  Prostitution is illegal and 
highly stigmatized in this secular Islamic society; however, 
a growing sex industry does exist.  While trafficking 
exists, we believe that irregular economic migration is a 
more predominant activity involving Azerbaijanis than 
trafficking in persons.  Due to the lack of public awareness 
and understanding regarding the exact definition of TIP, it 
is likely that in civil society and possibly GOAJ reporting, 
trafficking, economic migration, and migrant smuggling can 
at times be interchanged and confused. 
 
Though government activism on trafficking has been hampered 
by a lack of resources and expertise, in 2005 the GOAJ 
undertook some important steps to prevent and combat 
trafficking.  A new National TIP Coordinator was appointed 
in May.  The current TIP coordinator, together with the 
President's Office, has worked to address the GOAJ's TIP 
obligations.  This summer, the GOAJ adopted legislation to 
formally criminalize trafficking, clearing the way for 
increased resources and broader efforts to tackle 
trafficking.  In November the Cabinet of Ministers approved 
funding for the reconstruction of a building to serve as a 
victims shelter; work has continued on the complex during 
the winter, and the shelter is expected to open later this 
spring.  The international community is currently working 
with the GOAJ to identify and train NGOs capable of staffing 
the shelter.  The GOAJ has been receptive to international 
recommendations regarding the security infrastructure of the 
building and the accommodations necessary for a victims' 
shelter.  For example, at the urging of the international 
community the GOAJ rejected an earlier plan to house the 
anti-trafficking police unit on the same compound.  The GOAJ 
has also established two separate TIP assistance lines - one 
answered by Ministry of Internal Affairs officials and one 
answered by a local NGO.  The GOAJ has established these 
hotlines with little guidance from the international 
community and we expect that, as in other arenas, the GOAJ 
will continue to be receptive to international advice on 
improving its TIP-related infrastructure. 
 
The GOAJ also undertook steps to vet its Special Police Anti- 
Trafficking Squad (SPATS) in February 2006.  Although this 
unit was established in June 2005, the National Coordinator 
agreed to re-staff the unit following USG-recommended 
vetting procedures.  As of March 1, the GOAJ had called for 
applications, given applicants a multiple-choice written 
exam, and conducted oral examinations of candidates who 
passed the written exam.  The current 11 members of the 
SPATS also were required to participate in the exam and 
compete with the rest of the candidates for their positions. 
The exams were conducted under international observation. 
In a positive development, the GOAJ allowed members of civil 
society to sit together with MIA officials on the exam board 
as recommended by the USG.  As of March 1, the GOAJ was in 
the process of conducting background investigations for 
 
BAKU 00000309  002 OF 010 
 
 
those officers who had passed the oral exam. 
 
BEGIN TEXT OF THE REPORT: 
 
¶3. (SBU) A. Azerbaijan is a country of origin and transit, 
and to a lesser degree a country of destination for 
internationally trafficked men, women, and children. 
According to the GOAJ, 231 victims of trafficking were 
identified in 2005 (four children and 227 women).  Eleven 
women are Uzbeks, one Kyrgyz, and the rest were citizens of 
Azerbaijan.  According to the GOAJ, these victims were 
trafficked by air to Dubai, UAE; Karachi and Lahore, 
Pakistan; and Istanbul; and by land to Ighdir, Turkey; and 
Tehran, Iran.  It is also believed that Russia, Germany, and 
other Western European countries are destination points.  It 
is also known that several Azerbaijani victims were 
trafficked to the United States in early 2005.  NGO 
activists believe an increasing number of Azerbaijani 
victims or transit victims end up in Greece.  The GOAJ 
maintains that these TIP victims were all sexually 
exploited.  Local non-governmental organizations, however, 
maintain that the numbers are greater than those officially 
documented by the GOAJ and that trafficking of men for labor 
is a growing problem.  While we believe official figures may 
not represet the entirety of the problem in Azerbaijan, 
figres generated from local NGOs are also not entirel 
reliable due to lack of capacity, lack of understanding of 
what constitutes TIP, and the hidden nature of the crime. 
The few local NGOs that work on TIP report only irregularly 
and the GOAJ publishes reports annually on its efforts. 
 
It is also believed that trafficking occurs within 
Azerbaijan's borders, but there is no concrete information 
to verify this point.  There was no reliable information 
regarding trafficking to, from, or through the 16 percent of 
Azerbaijani territory currently occupied by Armenian forces, 
including the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.  The GOAJ does 
not exercise control over this territory. 
 
It is difficult to identify vulnerable populations due to 
the overall lack of information on TIP crimes.  It is 
believed, however, that the majority of victims are lured 
for economic prospects, including those who knowingly agree 
to work in the sex industry.  It is generally believed that 
women are at the highest risk, and in particular women from 
the IDP communities and women in communities where the 
majority of the male population has left to seek work 
outside of Azerbaijan.  However, women from a variety of 
backgrounds have become TIP victims, therefore making it 
difficult to determine a set pattern.  Civil society groups 
have also reported that street children and children in 
orphanages are vulnerable to trafficking and other 
exploitive actions.  In addition, it is believed men seeking 
jobs may be trafficked internally to work on Baku's numerous 
construction projects or internationally to places such as 
Russia or Turkey.  However, there were no reliable 
statistics available to differentiate between irregular 
labor migration, trafficking, and poor working conditions. 
 
¶B. As stated above, it is believed the TIP situation in 
Azerbaijan has not changed significantly in its nature in 
the past year, although some NGOs and the GOAJ believe the 
crime is becoming more hidden due to increased GOAJ efforts 
to combat TIP.  One local NGO reported that the number of 
trafficking routes has increased because of the need to vary 
activity to evade heightened law enforcement attention.  For 
this reason, the same NGO also reported that traffickers are 
increasingly using land routes instead of air routes. 
However, there was no reliable data to verify these 
assertions.  The GOAJ has demonstrated political will 
throughout the year to combat and prevent trafficking in 
persons in Azerbaijan, as demonstrated by its efforts to 
create the necessary infrastructure. 
 
Because of the high level of poverty it is difficult to 
 
BAKU 00000309  003 OF 010 
 
 
distinguish between those who leave the country voluntarily 
to prostitute themselves for economic reasons and those who 
are unwittingly recruited into the sex industry via 
traffickers.  It is likely that these numbers are often 
confused and interchanged.  It is also likely that a number 
of victims who voluntarily prostitute themselves end up as 
trafficking victims.  We believe a number of methods are 
used to entice victims, including lucrative job offers and 
solicitations by friends.  Offers of marriage are also 
employed to a lesser extent.  While a variety of sources 
indicate networks of organized crime operate trafficking 
rings, there was no reliable information to determine with 
clarity the profile of the average trafficker in Azerbaijan. 
It is believed that a combination of false documents and 
bribing officials (in particular border guards) are the 
primary vehicles to move victims out of the country. 
 
¶C. While the GOAJ has demonstrated the political will at a 
variety of levels to address the problem, the GOAJ continues 
to struggle with a number of other issues that distract from 
anti-TIP efforts.  The GOAJ lacks appropriately allocated 
funding to fulfill the projects it needs to undertake to 
meet its TIP obligations.  However, with increasing budget 
revenues in FY 2006, we expect this problem will diminish, 
if funds are allocated appropriately.  The GOAJ also lacks 
the capacity to aid victims, due to a lack of shelter, 
adequate hotline, expertise, or a structured, systematic 
plan to accommodate victims.  However, the GOAJ made 
significant steps during the year to address these issues. 
As of March 1, the GOAJ was in the process of: vetting the 
police officers serving on the special anti-TIP police unit, 
completing renovations on a secure shelter to house TIP 
victims, and establishing nation-wide TIP assistance lines. 
One of the biggest impediments to GOAJ action, however, was 
pervasive corruption.  The GOAJ began nascent efforts during 
the year to address systemic corruption, but much remains to 
be done.  While we do not believe that officers working 
directly on TIP issues facilitated TIP crimes, it is 
possible that lower-level officials accept bribes to either 
turn the other way or to directly facilitate trafficking. 
 
¶D. The GOAJ, through its National Action Plan, 
systematically monitors anti-TIP efforts and provides 
regular updates to the USG and other international partners 
with the expertise to help the GOAJ address the problem. 
The GOAJ also periodically makes available its crime 
statistics throughout the year, including TIP statistics. 
Efforts at prevention are less well publicized, however, the 
GOAJ periodically published press releases on conferences 
and seminars intended to educate the population. 
 
PREVENTION 
---------- 
 
¶A. The GOAJ acknowledges that TIP occurs in Azerbaijan and 
consistently states its commitment privately and publicly to 
developing more effective activities and policies to combat 
TIP so as to prevent the development of a large-scale 
problem. 
 
¶B. The GOAJ agencies involved in anti-TIP efforts include 
the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of National 
Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Youth and 
Sports, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of 
Education, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor and Social 
Protection, Ministry of Health, the Prosecutor General's 
Office, the State Border Services and the State Customs 
Committee.  The Ministry of Internal Affairs takes the lead 
on TIP efforts; the National TIP Coordinator is the Deputy 
Minister of Internal Affairs.  The MIA also oversees the 
Special Anti-Trafficking Police Squad (SPATS). 
 
¶C. The GOAJ has conducted several joint seminars with local 
NGOs in a number of regions throughout Azerbaijan, involving 
youth, local government authorities, and police 
 
BAKU 00000309  004 OF 010 
 
 
representatives.  The objective of these seminars was to 
investigate the reasons and conditions behind TIP in 
Azerbaijan.  The GOAJ also conducted a joint seminar with 
the State Committee on Work with Religious Structures on the 
role of clerical leaders in fighting trafficking in persons. 
High-level representatives of the State Committee on Women's 
Issues (reorganized as the State Committee on Women, 
Children, and Families at the beginning of 2006) also 
regularly traveled throughout the regions to conduct 
seminars and trainings on a wide variety of gender issues, 
including education on trafficking and TIP-prevention. 
These seminars targeted women in the regions from all 
sectors of society. 
 
¶D. With a poverty rate of 40 percent, the GOAJ has made job 
creation and economic development a priority.  The State 
Program for Poverty Reduction and the State Program on 
Social-Economic Development in the regions provide a 
strategic plan for development outside the oil economy and 
permanent job creation.  These programs have reduced the 
poverty level from over 50 percent several years ago to 
around 40 percent in 2005.  The GOAJ has also continued 
efforts to build permanent housing for IDPs, using the State 
Oil Fund.  These programs will and likely have already 
reduced the occurrence of trafficking by creating better 
domestic employment prospects and better living conditions, 
two of the key factors of TIP in Azerbaijan.  As stated 
above, the (former) State Committee on Women's Issues also 
regularly works with Azerbaijani women to empower them and 
raise public awareness of gender issues. 
 
¶F.  The GOAJ takes an authoritative lead on anti-TIP 
efforts.  The lead government interlocutors include the 
President's Advisor on Law Enforcement Bodies and the 
National TIP Coordinator.  The GOAJ works with several local 
NGOs.  While in general the GOAJ is reluctant to work with 
non-registered NGOs and the broader civil society community, 
NGOs reported that the GOAJ was much more receptive to joint 
efforts this year than in previous years.  This included 
participation in civil society forums on TIP.  The GOAJ was 
also an active participant at forums sponsored by the 
international community, which increased interaction between 
the GOAJ and civil society on TIP.  The National Coordinator 
and the President's Office regularly interact with the 
international community on TIP (namely the USG, OSCE, IOM, 
and ABA-CEELI) and seek our advice and assistance on 
implementation of programs to combat TIP.  During the past 
year, the GOAJ has worked in close consultation with the 
international community to establish a hotline, renovate a 
shelter for trafficking victims, properly vet its anti-TIP 
police unit, and amend current TIP and TIP-related 
legislation to conform with international standards. 
Several of these projects are ongoing and we expect the 
close collaboration to continue until the completion of 
these measures. 
 
¶G.  The GOAJ has continued efforts to enhance active 
monitoring of its borders and its international airports, 
and increased training for immigration personnel.  The MIA 
works with the State Border Services and the State Customs 
Committee to track passengers flying in and out of Baku's 
Heydar Aliyev International Airport in order to identify 
potential traffickers and trafficking victims, and to 
monitor seaports and land crossings. 
 
¶H.  The GOAJ, through the mechanism adopted in the 2004 
National Action Plan, coordinates communication between 
various government bodies and international institutions. 
The multi-agency task force is headed by the National TIP 
Coordinator, who is also a Deputy Minister of Internal 
Affairs.  The task force is composed of department heads 
from the Ministries of Justice, National Security, Labor and 
Social Welfare, Youth and Sport, Culture and Tourism, 
Economic Development, and Health, as well as the Prosecutor 
General's Office, The President's Office, the State Border 
 
BAKU 00000309  005 OF 010 
 
 
Service, and the State Customs Committee.  The National 
Coordinator serves as the single point of contact for anti- 
TIP efforts. 
 
Under the 2004 legislation on combating corruption, the GOAJ 
established the Anti-Corruption Commission led by the 
President's Chief of Staff, which includes other members of 
the President's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 
Ministry of National Security, Parliament, the Constitution 
Court, the Prosecutor General's Office, and the Ministry of 
Justice.  The Commission submits annual reports to the 
President, Parliament, and the Constitutional Court.  Under 
the Commission, the GOAJ also established an inter-agency 
corruption legislative working group to draft legislation, 
which includes international experts.  The GOAJ regularly 
works with the international experts to vet proposed 
corruption legislation.  Additionally, The Prosecutor 
General's office has initiated a corruption investigative 
unit.  However, the GOAJ's efforts to combat systemic 
corruption remained nascent.  During the year, the Ministry 
of Internal Affairs reported that it worked with the 
Prosecutor General's Office to investigate 189 corruption 
cases. 
 
¶J.  The GOAJ has a national action plan (NAP) to address 
TIP, adopted in 2004.  The NAP was developed by the 
President's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 
consultation with the USG, OSCE, and IOM.  Since 2004, the 
GOAJ has discussed the NAP with target audience groups at 
conferences and seminars related to trafficking.  Key 
elements of the NAP were codified in 2005 with the passage 
of a formal law against trafficking. 
 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶A. In June 2005 the GOAJ adopted the Law on the Fight 
Against Trafficking in Persons (amended in January 2006), 
and in October 2005 adopted relevant criminal code 
amendments to establish penalties for the crimes outlined in 
the law.  The law was written in close consultation with the 
international community and as such, it is a robust law that 
covers a plethora of TIP circumstances.  The law itself bans 
trafficking for the purposes of human exploitation, which 
includes a broad range of activities including sexual 
exploitation, forced labor, slavery, recruitment for 
unlawful activity, etc.  The law makes no distinction that 
the activity must involve crossing international borders. 
The law also sets out an ambitious program that relevant 
authorities within the GOAJ must undertake in order to 
investigate, prosecute, and prevent trafficking, as well as 
provisions for victim protection and rehabilitation. 
 
Prior to the law's passage and adoption of criminal code 
amendments, traffickers were convicted under the country's 
laws that covered trafficking-related crimes.  Outside of 
the law specifically criminalizing TIP, traffickers may be 
prosecuted under articles prohibiting slavery, rape, forced 
prostitution, sexual coercion, operation of brothels, the 
trade and transit of minors, and involvement of minors under 
the age of 16 in sexual coercion, prostitution, or other 
obscene acts.  These laws were used during the reporting 
period to prosecute traffickers due to the late adoption of 
criminal code amendments.  Taken together, these laws 
encompass the full scope of possible trafficking activities. 
 
The above represents a full inventory of trafficking laws in 
Azerbaijan, with the relevant penalties described below. 
The new TIP legislation includes, for the first time, the 
possibility of confiscation of property.  While roughly 
equivalent to a civil forfeiture law, this provision is 
included in the criminal code. 
 
¶B. The criminal code amendments passed by Parliament in 
October 2005 establish the following penalties for "human 
 
BAKU 00000309  006 OF 010 
 
 
trafficking" without distinction as to the type of human 
trafficking: 
 
-- Trafficking of one human being is punishable by five to 
ten years' imprisonment and confiscation of property. 
 
-- Trafficking of more than one person, committed 
repeatedly, or with various special circumstances is 
punishable by eight to ten years' imprisonment with 
confiscation of property. 
 
-- Trafficking that results in the death of a victim or 
other grave results due to negligence is punishable by six 
to twelve years' imprisonment with confiscation of property. 
 
The criminal code also outlines penalties for dissemination 
of confidential information about a TIP victim, which is a 
fine of 100 to 500 times the "nominal fiscal unit," equal to 
5,500 old manats or approximately USD 1.20, (the average 
monthly salary is approximately USD 125); up to 240 hours of 
community service; or up to one year of correctional labor. 
Should the same act be committed by a person using his or 
her official status, the fine is increased to 500 to 1000 
times the average monthly salary; one year of correctional 
labor; or up to six months' imprisonment.  If the same 
actions include grave results, the punishment is one to ten 
years' imprisonment. 
 
¶C. Under the criminal code provisions, traffickers 
prosecuted for sexual violence (which can include rape, 
compulsion to prostitution, compulsory sterilization or 
commitment against persons of other actions connected to 
sexual violence) may receive a jail sentence of 10-15 years 
or life imprisonment.  Rape itself is punishable by four to 
15 years.  Violent actions of a sexual nature carry a 
sentence of 3-8 years, or up to 15 if the victim is a minor, 
dies, or contracts HIV.  Coercion into sexual actions is 
punishable by a fine, corrective works, or imprisonment up 
to three years.  The more punitive charges are in line with 
the penalties for sex trafficking.  However, most 
traffickers during the year were convicted under 
prostitution charges, although five were convicted under the 
charge of coercion into sexual relations. 
 
¶D. Prostitution is illegal in Azerbaijan.  The activities of 
a prostitute, brothel owner/operator, pimp, and enforcer are 
all criminalized and the laws are enforced.  The actions of 
a client are not criminalized. 
 
¶E.  The National TIP coordinator briefs USG personnel on the 
latest trafficking prosecution statistics at virtually every 
meeting.  The GOAJ was prompt and forthcoming with requested 
information on trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and 
convictions. 
 
During 2005, the GOAJ reported that it opened 160 criminal 
cases related to trafficking in persons.  Five cases were 
still under investigation at year's end.  Out of the 
remaining 155 cases, 153 were sent to the courts and two 
were closed without criminal charges.  Out of the opened 
criminal cases, five were prosecuted under coercion to 
sexual activities, one under involving a minor in 
prostitution, two under trade in minors, 54 under 
involvement in prostitution, and 91 in managing a brothel. 
Of the 153 cases sent to court, 87 of the accused are women 
and 66 are men.  (Five cases were still under investigation 
at year's end). 
 
Under the charges of involvement in prostitution, as of 
March 1, 11 individuals had been imprisoned, 12 individuals 
had received administrative charges (fines or injunctions) 
and 20 individuals were fined. 
 
Under the charges of maintaining and managing a brothel, 26 
individuals were imprisoned, 14 received administrative 
 
BAKU 00000309  007 OF 010 
 
 
charges, and 10 received suspended sentences. 
 
The cases of 58 individuals are still under consideration by 
the courts. Because of the late adoption of legislation 
specifically criminalizing trafficking, no traffickers have 
as yet been charged under the new statutes.  As of March 1, 
59 individuals remained in prison on trafficking-related 
convictions. 
 
Additionally, in February 2006, the GOAJ issued a press 
release stating that the MIA, Ministry of National Security, 
and the State Border Guards had broken up a transnational 
trafficking ring involving 40 individuals from various 
countries. During the year the GOAJ also actively cooperated 
with USG authorities on a case involving Azerbaijani 
traffickers and victims operating in the United States.  The 
case has resulted in two convictions in US courts, including 
the longest-ever TIP sentence handed down in the United 
States. 
 
¶F. The GOAJ has provided little information about the 
identity of convicted or suspected traffickers.  Anecdotal 
evidence suggests they are men or women, working alone or in 
small groups, who say they will arrange for employment 
abroad, then force the victims to work in the sex industry. 
Victims may give prior consent to working in the sex 
industry but are not being told the circumstances under 
which they will work.  Prostitution rings run by local 
organized crime groups throughout the country are also 
potential perpetrators.  We do not have any credible 
evidence of government officials' involvement in 
trafficking. 
 
¶G. The Special Anti-TIP Police Unit (SPATS) within the MIA 
is responsible for investigating TIP cases, in conjunction 
with local police units and other relevant law enforcement 
personnel.  When the GOAJ becomes aware of trafficking 
activity, it investigates the activity.  However, the GOAJ 
needs to increase its capacity to conduct proactive TIP 
investigations.  We are hopeful that with the vetting of a 
new SPATS according to international standards (expected to 
be completed later this spring), the USG and other 
international partners will be able to provide training and 
expertise to the unit.  This will serve both to increase the 
unit's capacity to investigate sensitive TIP crimes and to 
work more closely with its international counterparts. 
 
The GOAJ does not share the specific investigative 
techniques it uses for such investigations, but Azerbaijani 
police do use active investigation techniques, such as 
surveillance and undercover operations, and are not 
prohibited from engaging in covert operations. 
 
¶H. The GOAJ has incorporated TIP-specific training into its 
regular courses for police units and prosecutors throughout 
the country.  The GOAJ provides and briefs its officers and 
prosecutors on the NAP and relevant legislation, but 
currently lacks the capacity to conduct appropriate 
trainings that would be unique to TIP.  During the year 
prosecutors and officers participated in trainings, both 
internationally and domestically, that included trafficking 
components.  As stated above, however, we remain hopeful 
that with the completion of a vetting process for the SPATS, 
the USG and other international organizations will be in a 
better position to enhance the GOAJ's TIP training capacity 
in the areas of investigative techniques, victims' rights 
and interviewing skills development. 
 
¶I. The GOAJ reported that during 2005, it cooperated with 
the United States, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Arab 
Emirates to investigate trafficking cases.  The GOAJ did not 
provide the number of international investigations that took 
place during the year.  However, the GOAJ reported that its 
anti-TIP personnel established ties through joint trainings 
and/or seminars with the Russian Federation, Turkey, 
 
BAKU 00000309  008 OF 010 
 
 
Austria, Germany, Italy, and Moldova during the year.  The 
GOAJ also works with CIS-member states through the CIS 
Executive Secretariat to link anti-TIP efforts throughout 
the territory of the former Soviet Union.  In addition, 
during the year the GOAJ signed a protocol with Kazakhstan 
to improve border security. 
 
¶J. The GOAJ did not extradite traffickers to foreign 
countries during the year, nor were any Azerbaijani 
nationals extradited to foreign countries for prosecution in 
TIP crimes.  The GOAJ has signed bilateral extradition 
treaties with Russia, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, 
Iran, Ukraine, and Lithuania. 
 
¶K. There is no evidence of GOAJ involvement in or tolerance 
of trafficking on a local or institutional level.  However, 
we suspect that low-level civil servants, local law- 
enforcement officers, and border guards may accept bribes in 
exchange for turning a blind eye to migrant smuggling and 
possible trafficking activities.  High-ranking government 
officials are rumored to own some of the saunas and 
restaurants in Baku and in the regions where prostitutes 
work, but we have no evidence of the officials' investment 
or direct involvement in these businesses, nor do we know 
whether prostitutes working in those establishments are in 
fact trafficking victims.  No government officials have been 
prosecuted for trafficking or trafficking-related 
corruption. 
 
¶M. There is no evidence of child sex tourism in Azerbaijan. 
 
¶N. The GOAJ has signed and ratified ILO conventions 29 (May 
19, 1992) and 105 (August 9, 2000) on forced or compulsory 
labor and Convention 182 (March 30, 2004) on the worst forms 
of child labor. 
 
Azerbaijan has joined the European Charter Article on 
Protecting Child and Youth Rights.  In August 2003, the 
Government ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention 
on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child 
Prostitution, and Child Pornography. 
 
In May 2003 the GOAJ ratified the Protocol to Prevent, 
Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially 
Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against 
the Transnational Organized Crime (the Palermo Protocol). 
 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶A. The GOAJ is working to complete renovation of a permanent 
shelter for TIP victims.  This secure accommodation and 
accompanying assistance centers, when completed, will 
provide access to legal, medical, and psychological services 
for TIP victims.  Families of underage TIP victims can also 
be housed in the shelter once complete.  The GOAJ has made 
significant efforts in the past several months to renovate 
the building, which is expected to open later this spring. 
In the interim, the GOAJ refers victims to international 
NGOs, local NGOs, and state medical facilities for treatment 
and counseling.  The GOAJ reported that all 231 victims 
identified in 2005 received medical treatment. 
 
The Law on Trafficking passed in 2005 provides for relief 
from deportation for victims for up to one year.  If a 
victim cooperates in the investigation, the victim is 
entitled to stay until the court case is completed.  A 
victim can also apply to the relevant government authorities 
for immigrant status. 
 
¶B. The GOAJ lacks the necessary resources and mechanisms to 
provide financial support to domestic NGOs for services to 
trafficking victims; domestic NGOs in all fields receive the 
majority of their funding from international sources. 
 
 
BAKU 00000309  009 OF 010 
 
 
¶C. While there is no formal victim screening and referral 
system in place, the GOAJ works with local and international 
NGOs as well as state healthcare institutions on an informal 
basis to provide trafficking with short-term care.  Once the 
victims' shelter is open, a formal screening and referral 
system will be put into place to transfer victims to that 
facility. 
 
¶D. Post has received no reports of trafficking victims being 
detained, jailed, or deported.  The GOAJ reported that 
former victims of trafficking have been convicted for 
involving others in prostitution, but we have no evidence 
that victims of trafficking themselves have been prosecuted 
for violations of the law because of their actions while 
being trafficked. 
 
¶E. Trafficking victims rarely file civil suits or seek legal 
action against the traffickers, but there are no legal 
restrictions on their ability to do so.  There are no 
restrictions on a witness' actions during a court case.  One 
element of the shelter for victims will be a standardized 
process for obtaining testimony from victims and asking 
permission to use their testimony in court. The new TIP law 
permits a victim to gain employment elsewhere if he or she 
is a witness in a case against a trafficker; it also permits 
the victim to remain in the country if he or she wishes. 
However, the infrastructure to implement this provision is 
not yet in place.  The new TIP law also provides for a 
victim restitution program; however, there were no cases 
during the year and as such, no claims or compensation have 
yet been made. 
 
¶F. The GOAJ is unable at this time to provide special 
protection for victims and witnesses beyond providing short- 
term protective custody.  The MIA, and specifically vetted 
officers of a specific division of the SPATS will provide 
security for victims in the shelter, which will be run by a 
coalition of NGOs.  While there were reported child 
trafficking victims during the year, we do not know what 
assistance or care they received.  We assume that the 
children were either returned to their families or placed in 
orphanages. 
 
¶G.  The NAP and the accompanying TIP legislation includes 
training for NGO groups, police specialists, and other 
government officials in how to recognize trafficking and 
provide assistance to trafficked victims, including the 
special needs of trafficked children.  As stated above, we 
remain hopeful that with the completion of a vetting process 
for the SPATS, the USG and other international organizations 
will be in a better position to enhance the GOAJ's TIP 
training capacity. 
 
Under the GOAJ's new TIP legislation, embassies and 
consulates are instructed to provide quickly the necessary 
documentation for victims abroad to return to Azerbaijan.  A 
local NGO reported that two Azerbaijani victims in Turkey 
received appropriate documents within two days to travel 
back to Azerbaijan.  In addition, the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs reported that this spring it will begin training 
consular officers on trafficking issues. 
 
¶H. The GOAJ provides medical assistance to repatriated 
victims through state medical clinics; however, at this time 
there was no formal shelter to provide victims with 
accommodation.  The GOAJ worked with local and international 
NGOs informally to provide repatriated victims with shelter 
and counseling.  While victims of trafficking are entitled 
under the new TIP law to financial compensation, there were 
no cases during the year. 
 
¶I.  IOM conducts substantive research on the trafficking 
problem in Azerbaijan; however, personnel changes and other 
intervening circumstances inhibited IOM's efforts during the 
year to take a leading role on TIP issues.  The USG, IOM, 
 
BAKU 00000309  010 OF 010 
 
 
OSCE, and ABA-CEELI provide guidance and conduct anti-TIP 
programs, including training NGO employees to work at the 
TIP shelter and hotline.  Several national domestic NGOs 
also deal with the problem of trafficking, including Clean 
World, the Women's Crisis Center, the Society for the 
Defense of Women's Rights, the Center for Legal Assistance 
to Migrants, Symmetry, the Forum of Azerbaijan NGOs on 
Migration (FANGOM, a network of 35 NGOs), and the Azerbaijan 
Children's Union.  There are also several regional NGOs that 
concentrate on trafficking programming.  These NGOs serve 
primarily as contact points for at-risk populations and 
engage in some information campaigns about the dangers of 
trafficking.  Two of these organizations also informally 
shelter local and foreign trafficking victims.  The Center 
for Legal Assistance to Migrants provides free legal 
services to trafficking victims and works with other NGOs to 
coordinate services.  The Women's Crisis Center operates a 
crisis hotline and provides legal, psychological, and 
medical services free of charge.  In 2005, 47 women who 
contacted the center for assistance (or whose families 
contacted the center) reported having been trafficked. 
Under a grant awarded through the U.S. Embassy Democracy 
Commission to support programs on trafficking, Clean World 
together with several other NGOs and government officials 
conducted a series of trainings throughout Azerbaijan for 
broad audiences.  Through this same project, Clean World 
also produced a pamphlet for distribution that included 
extensive information regarding advice when traveling 
abroad, how to recognize potential traffickers, how to 
verify employment offers (including contact numbers for 
embassies and consulates), how to find assistance if you 
have been or are being trafficked, and case studies. 
Another project funded through the Democracy Commission was 
a documentary film on child trafficking produced by 
Internews Azerbaijan that aired on public TV, one national 
TV station, and eight regional TV stations.  Many NGO 
representatives and professional journalists have written 
about the trafficking problem in national newspapers and 
magazines.  The Government in general does not interfere in 
these NGOs activities and at times facilitates civil society 
efforts to combat trafficking. 
 
END TEXT OF REPORT. 
 
¶4. (U) Embassy Baku's point of contact for this report is 
Political Officer Laura Scheibe (FS-04), who spent 33 hours 
speaking with local non-governmental organizations, 
international organizations, and GOAJ officials and 
analyzing the data provided to prepare this report.  Her 
contact information is e-mail: ScheibeLK@state.gov; phone: 
(99412) 498-0335 or TIE line 641-4210; fax: (99412) 465- 
¶6671. 
 
HARNISH