VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTL #0037/01 0410743
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100743Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1023
INFO RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 5319
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2639
RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 3023
RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 6769
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 2622
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 1042
RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK 0077
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS TALLINN 000037 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, AND EUR/NB 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF
ELAB, EN 
 
SUBJECT: ESTONIA - NINTH ANNUAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING REPORT 
 
REF: A) STATE 132759 
 
¶1. (U) The following is Embassy Tallinn's Anti- 
Trafficking Report for Estonia.  Responses are keyed to 
the checklist (Ref A).  Post's points of contact on 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) are Political Officer 
Alamanda Gribbin (Email: GribbinAL@state.gov; tel: +372-668-8291) 
and Political Assistant Riina Tannia (Tel: +372-668-8233; 
Email: Tanniar@state.gov). 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Government of Estonia (GOE) has 
made significant progress in combating trafficking-in- 
persons in 2008, developing stronger coordination with 
local NGOs active on this issue, improving services to 
victims and working on the expansion of the penal code 
statues relating to enslavement.  During the reporting 
period the Estonian Government confirmed two cases of 
trafficking.  As a result, Estonia does not meet either 
the State Department's 'significance' threshold or the 
'100 confirmed cases' benchmark for inclusion in the 
trafficking report as a Tier Two country.  The rare 
incidence of trafficking cases, combined with strong GOE 
leadership, allow us to justify moving Estonia to Tier 
One status.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Estonia's TIP Situation 
 
¶3. (SBU) A:  The Estonian Ministry of Justice (MOJ), 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Ministry of Social 
Affairs (MSA), Ministry of Interior (MOI) local NGOs, the 
local branch of the International Organization for 
Migration (IOM), the Nordic Police and Customs 
Cooperation Office in Tallinn and the Norwegian, Swedish 
and Finnish Embassies in Tallinn were all sources of 
available information on TIP. The information assembled 
in this report is based on the most current and reliable 
data available at this time. 
 
¶4. (SBU) B: Estonia is believed to be a country of origin 
and transit for trafficked women. According to Estonian 
Government officials concerned with human trafficking, 
the recent downturn in the Estonian economy has 
dramatically decreased the price of sexual services in 
the country, making Estonia a less desirable destination 
for traffickers.  During the reporting period, there was 
no evidence of men, women or children being trafficked 
into Estonia.  During the reporting period, two 
trafficking cases were registered in the Estonian courts. 
One case involved an Estonian responding to a job 
advertisement promising work in the Ukraine.  The case 
was ultimately dismissed due to lack of evidence.  The 
second case involved an inmate in an Estonian prison but 
was ultimately deemed to be an incidence of forced labor. 
 
¶5. (SBU) B, cont: During the reporting period, the 
Estonian MOJ also recorded the return of three Estonian 
women who were alleged to have been victims of 
trafficking abroad (one in the UK and two in Norway). 
The MOJ noted the return of a mentally-handicapped woman 
from Tartu who traveled to Finland where she was forced 
to perform sex acts for approximately three weeks.  The 
two men deemed responsible for forcing her to commit the 
acts were tried and convicted of pimping in a Finnish 
court. 
 
¶6. (SBU) B, cont: According to the Estonian Ministry for 
Social Affairs (MSA), it is difficult to track the exact 
number of trafficking victims in Estonia. 
Travel'friendly regulations in the Schengen zone and 
variations in victim reporting practices among 
neighboring countries made obtaining exact victim 
statistics difficult.  To improve the tracking mechanism, 
MSA worked with relevant NGOs on the development of a 
victim identification model.  A joint Government and NGO 
anti-trafficking workgroup approved the model in January 
2009 and hope to have it in place by March 2009. (Post 
will update before the April 15 deadline). 
 
¶7. (SBU) B, cont: In addition to GOE agencies and NGOs, 
post also consulted with the resident Liaison Officer for 
Nordic Customs and Police Cooperation (covering Estonia, 
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) and 
representatives from the Embassies of Norway, Sweden and 
Finland in Estonia.  According to the Liaison Officer, 
cataloguing the exact number of Estonian trafficking 
victims abroad is quite difficult.  The Nordic Customs 
and Police agencies only report trafficking victims to 
the country of origin in certain cases:  1) when a case 
goes to court and the victim's identity cannot be 
ascertained; 2) when victims request services from the 
country of origin. 
 
¶8. (SBU) B, cont/C: Based on discussions with Nordic 
Police, Nordic diplomats in Tallinn, and the Estonian MFA 
and MOJ, we understand that during the reporting period 
there were no documented Estonian trafficking victims in 
Sweden or Finland, but two victims were returned to 
Estonia from Norway. The women in question were offered 
jobs in a bar, but when they arrived in Norway it turned 
out that they were expected to provide sexual services. 
An Estonian woman in the UK alleged to be a victim of 
trafficking and sought assistance through a UK 
trafficking NGO to return to Estonia.  Once she arrived 
in Estonia, she refused additional victim assistance.  As 
such, the exact circumstances surrounding her alleged 
victimization are unclear. 
 
¶9. (SBU) D: Estonian prostitutes with drug addictions 
should be (and are) considered vulnerable to traffickers. 
 
¶10. (SBU) E: According to Estonian law enforcement, most 
traffickers were generally small-scale operators, who 
often had ties to local organized crime groups. The 
representatives of the Estonian NGOs 'Atoll' and 
'Eluliin' remarked that, in some cases, former 
prostitutes become traffickers and pimps.  The most 
common lure by traffickers remains the promise of 
legitimate employment abroad (e.g., hotels, restaurants, 
massage parlors, and strip clubs). In December 2007, 
Estonia formally joined the EU's Schengen Agreement for 
common visa and immigration borders on land and sea. 
Estonia also joined the Schengen area for air borders on 
March 30, 2008.  This agreement allows for the free 
movement of people within Schengen countries (the UK, 
Ireland, and Denmark are not members), eliminating the 
need for traffickers to obtain false documentation to 
move victims between Estonia and the rest of the EU. 
 
Setting the Scene for Estonia's ANTI-TIP Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶11. (SBU) A: The government of Estonia has acknowledged 
that anti-trafficking is a priority. 
 
¶12. (SBU) B:  During the reporting period, the following 
ministries and agencies were involved in anti-trafficking 
activities: MFA, MOI, MOJ, MSA, Ministry of Education and 
Research (MOER), Ministry of Finance (MOF), Citizenship 
and Migration Board (CMB), the Border Guards, Police 
Board, the Central Criminal Police (CCP), INTERPOL and 
EUROPOL liaison offices, and the Prosecutor's Office. 
Recognizing that trafficking extends beyond the scope of 
any single agency, the GOE's National Action Plan 
designates the MOJ as the lead ministry to better 
coordinate the government's efforts. During the reporting 
period, the MOJ, MSA, MOI, and MFA met regularly at 
various working-levels. 
 
¶13. (SBU) C: Previously, inadequate funding limited the 
GOE's ability to combat trafficking.  However, the GOE 
recognized this deficiency and has steadily increased the 
amount of funding committed to anti-trafficking measures. 
In 2006, the anti-trafficking budget was approximately 
14,000 USD.  In 2007, the GOE spent approximately 181,000 
USD on prevention and victim assistance and in 2008 the 
amount spent was approximately 200,000 USD. 
 
¶14. (SBU): C, cont: Post found no evidence of 
trafficking-related corruption within the GOE.  We are 
also not aware of any instances of bribe-taking related 
to trafficking among GOE, law enforcement, or border 
guard officials. With respect to public corruption, there 
is a "Select Committee on the Application of the Anti- 
Corruption Act" in the Riigikogu (the Estonian 
Parliament) which promoted full implementation of anti- 
corruption legislation. 
 
¶15. (SBU) D: In 2006, the GOE founded the National Anti- 
Trafficking Network. The tasks of the network are 
recorded in the National Action Plan for the years 2006- 
¶2009. This year the Ministry of Justice will start 
working on the new action plan for 2009-2012. The draft 
action plan should be ready early this year. The Network 
is represented by the relevant Ministries, police, border 
guards, prosecutors and NGOs dealing directly with the 
trafficking issue. Representatives meet throughout the 
year and correspond frequently via e-mail. Each year, the 
Network drafts an assessment of the previous year's 
activities.  GOE ministries are currently circulating the 
2008 assessment. 
 
 
Investigation and Prosecution of Traffickers 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶16. (SBU) A: Estonia does not have any trafficking- 
specific laws in its criminal code.  The GOE considers 
trafficking to be prohibited under Article 133 (the 
prohibition of enslavement) and further considers Article 
133 to be an adequate mechanism for addressing 
trafficking cases.  In March 2007, the GOE expanded 
Article 133 in accordance with a July 19, 2002 framework 
decision of the EU Council. Article 133 now includes in 
the definition of 'enslavement' 'taking advantage of a 
person's helpless situation.'  Also in 2007, Article 134 
was expanded to include forcing a person to work or 
perform duties against their will, for the benefit of 
another person. The Ministry of Justice is working on an 
analysis of the trafficking definition and possible 
changes to the current legislation. The analyses should 
be ready by end of March 2009. 
 
¶17. (SBU) A, Cont: Over the last few years, the MOJ has 
expanded the number of articles it can use to prosecute 
trafficking and related crimes. The following is a list 
of laws that the GOE can use in addition to Article 133 
when prosecuting traffickers: 
 
-- Article 134: Abduction; 
-- Article 136: Unlawful deprivation of liberty; 
-- Article 138: Illegal conduct of human research; 
-- Article 139: Illegal removal of organs or tissue; 
-- Article 140: Inducing persons to donate organs or 
tissue; 
-- Article 143: Compelling persons to engage in sexual 
intercourse; 
-- Article 143/1: Compelling persons to engage in 
satisfaction of sexual desire; 
-- Article 172: Child kidnapping; 
-- Article 173: Sale or purchase of children; 
-- Article 175: Disposing minors to engage in 
prostitution; 
-- Article 176: Aiding prostitution involving minors; 
-- Article 177: Use of minors in manufacture of 
pornographic works; 
-- Article 178: Manufacture of works involving child 
pornography or making child pornography available; 
-- Article 259: Illegal transportation of aliens across 
state border or temporary border line of Republic of 
Estonia; 
-- Article 268: Provision of opportunity to engage in 
unlawful activities, or pimping; 
 
During the reporting period, the MOJ recorded 189 
individual criminal offenses related to these statues, 
although as a single suspect can be charged with multiple 
violations, the actual number of court judgments related 
to the above statues is 67.  The MOJ noted that in two 
instances the alleged violations specifically related to 
trafficking.  The remaining violations were related to 
illegal commercial sex activities (e.g., pimping, 
exploitation of minors, kidnapping, etc.). 
 
¶18. (SBU) B: The penalty for 'enslavement' for the 
purposes of sexual exploitation is up to five years 
imprisonment. If there are two or more victims or if the 
victims are minors, the penalty is up to 12 years of 
imprisonment. During the reporting period, there were no 
convictions for 'enslavement' for the purposes of sexual 
exploitation under Article 133 of the Penal Code. 
 
¶19. (SBU) C: The prescribed penalty for labor trafficking 
is one to five years imprisonment.  In severe cases, the 
penalty is three to twelve years imprisonment.  During 
the reporting period two persons were convicted of 
'enslavement' under Article 133 of the Penal Code for 
forcing the third person to sell drugs. One defendant was 
sentenced to 1 year and 6 months imprisonment and the 
other to one year imprisonment. As both had been 
convicted before and had not yet served the related 
sentences, they received a combined sentence of seven 
years and two months imprisonment and 14 days and four 
years eight months and seven days respectively. 
 
¶20. (SBU) D: The penalties for trafficking under 
enslavement, abduction, rape, sexual assault, and sexual 
abuse of minors are five years imprisonment in the case 
of adult victims, and 12 years for child victims under 
age 18.  Prosecutors may also add violations of 
additional statutes to increase the penalty (i.e., rape, 
abuse of a minor, etc.). 
 
¶21. (SBU) E: During the reporting period, two persons 
were convicted of trafficking related crimes under the 
expanded Article 133 relating to enslavement.  (See 
Paragraph 19C for information concerning their 
sentencing.) 
 
¶22. (SBU) E, cont: Estonian labor laws forbid 
inappropriately high or illegal fees or commissions by 
labor recruiters, confiscating of workers' 
passports/travel documents and the destruction, damaging, 
theft or concealment of these documents.  Violators can 
be prosecuted under paragraphs 209 and 346 of the 
Estonian Penal Code dealing with fraud and theft, and 
receive punishment in the form of a minimum fine of 5,000 
USD or 5 to 15 years imprisonment.  The switching of 
contracts or terms of employment without a worker's 
consent is forbidden by paragraph 12 of the Labor Market 
Services and Benefits Act.  The Labour Inspectorate, a 
government agency operating under the umbrella of the 
MSA, enforces these provisions.  There were no 
prosecutions for these crimes during the reporting 
period. 
 
¶23. (SBU) F: Together with NGOs 'Living for Tomorrow,' 
'Eluliin' and the Police, the MSA conducted three TIP 
prevention training seminars in April, May and October 
for social workers, juvenile police and support persons 
of women engaged in prostitution and trafficking victims. 
Responsible for the trainings along with MSA were the 
Prosecutor's Office, MOI and MFA. On May 29, 2008, 
twenty-one police officers from the Eastern Police 
Prefecture participated in the training seminar 
'Prevention of trafficking in persons and assisting the 
victims.'  On May 14-15, 2008, the Open Society Institute 
of Estonia conducted training on prostitution in Estonia 
from a legal perspective. Representatives of both the 
National Police Board and Northern Police Prefecture 
attended the seminar. The border guards received no 
special training in 2008, but they were provided with the 
handbooks from the 2007 training. Two trainings for 
judges are planned for April and May 2009. The total cost 
of three seminars in 2008 was approximately 6,740 USD. 
 
¶24. (SBU) F, cont: In addition to MSA-initiated trainings 
for the police and youth counselors, the NGO 'Living for 
Tomorrow' conducted 22 anti-trafficking trainings all 
over Estonia for 441 schoolchildren. Twelve were 
conducted in Estonian and ten in the Russian language. 
In total, 39 schools participated in the above-mentioned 
training seminars. Trainings were also held at ten 
Estonian and Russian orphanages and three specialized 
schools, with 129 participants altogether, both children 
and adults. 
 
¶25. (SBU) F, cont: In July the Southern Police 
Prefecture' Prevention Office organized a three-day youth 
camp for young people from Tartu, Jogeva and Valga 
counties. One of the topics covered was trafficking in 
persons. There were 200 participants altogether. 
 
¶26. (SBU) F, cont: In September 2008, representatives 
from the National Institute for Health Development and 
the Intelligence Department of the Estonian Border Guard 
took part in an OSCE conference 'Successful Prosecution 
of Human Trafficking - Challenges and Good Practices' in 
Helsinki. In November 2008, representatives of the MFA 
and the Estonian Embassy in Copenhagen participated in a 
trafficking related training for diplomats organized by 
the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) anti-trafficking 
task force working-group.  An MFA representative took 
part in the CBSS anti-trafficking task force meetings in 
May, September and November 2008. 
 
¶27. (SBU) G: The Estonian Central Criminal Police 
exchanged surveillance information on a regular basis 
with counterparts from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, 
Great Britain and Poland.  They received 16 requests for 
assistance from abroad during 2008.  Also in 2008, 
Estonian law enforcement officials formed an information 
and best practices exchange network with Bulgaria, Sweden 
and Romania.  The Nordic Customs and Police Cooperation 
Liaison in Tallinn reported that cooperation with 
Estonian counterparts takes many forms, from assistance 
in suspect surveillance and interrogation to providing 
victim and perpetrator identities.  The Liaison 
characterized Estonia's cooperation in trafficking 
related matters as good. 
 
¶28. (SBU) H: GOE policy is to extradite persons, 
including its own nationals, who are charged with 
trafficking in other countries.  Three trafficking 
related extraditions to Finland took place during the 
reporting period. 
 
¶29. (SBU) J: There was no evidence of government 
involvement in or tolerance of trafficking at either the 
local or institutional level. 
 
¶30. (SBU) K: Prostitution and the solicitation of 
commercial sex are not illegal in Estonia.  Pimping, 
however, is illegal.  The activities of brothel 
owners/operators, pimps, and enforcers are criminalized 
and the GOE regularly enforces the laws. 
 
¶31. (SBU) L: There was no evidence of Estonian 
peacekeepers' deployed abroad engaging in trafficking. 
 
¶32. (SBU) M: Estonia does not have an identified child 
sex tourism problem (either as a source or a destination 
country). 
 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS: 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶33. (SBU) A: In 2006, the GOE incorporated EU Council 
Directive 2004/81/EC into national law to make it 
possible for trafficking victims to obtain a temporary 
residency permit for the duration of criminal 
investigations and legal proceedings.  The law was 
enacted in February 2007.  No trafficking victim applied 
for a residency permit during the reporting period. 
 
¶34. (SBU) B: In 2007, three shelters designated 
specifically for trafficking victims began operating in 
Estonia.  The shelters, available to foreign and domestic 
victims alike, were established as part of the Nordic- 
Baltic pilot project and offer psychological, career and 
legal counseling to victims. The shelters are operated by 
NGOs. There are no special shelters for male victims. 
According to the MSA, during the reporting period 55 past 
and present victims received services in these 
facilities, 17 of them stayed in shelters for some time 
and 38 victims received assistance and counseling in out- 
patient centers. Funding for the shelters was provided by 
the Nordic countries through the European Women's Lobby. 
These shelters also received funds under an MOI-directed 
program to support regional investments with taxes on 
gambling. As of 2009 however, the two shelters for TIP 
victims and the rehabilitation center in Tallinn will 
receive funding from the MSA in the amount of 100,000 USD 
per year. The GOE also supported a children's 24-hour 
hotline dedicated to the early recognition of child 
victims and providing assistance. Social workers answer 
the phones and they can forward the calls to 
psychologists or police whenever necessary. The GOE 
allocated approximately 75 percent of its overall 200,000 
USD anti-trafficking budget to victims' assistance 
programs. 
 
¶35. (SBU) C/D: The MSA contributed 5,000 USD to IOM for a 
handbook on assistance to trafficking victims. This 
handbook is a practical guide for medical workers and 
others who assist trafficking victims. The first training 
on how to use the handbook took place in February 2009. 
The NGO 'Living for Tomorrow' received 2,000 USD from the 
Estonian Gambling Tax Council.  The funds supported 22 
trafficking awareness training sessions for secondary and 
vocational school students at 39 schools, and nine 
training sessions for 229 adults (victim assistants, 
youth counsellors, teachers of history and civics, church 
ministers, etc).  In addition, the MSA provided the NGO 
'Living for Tomorrow' 15,000 USD to fund its anti- 
trafficking Hotline service. 
 
¶36. (SBU) E: See paragraphs 37 and 38 J on victim 
assistance. 
 
¶37. (SBU) F/G/H: There was no government mechanism for 
screening for trafficking victims.  This work was done by 
the NGO 'Atoll's' regular field survey of area 
prostitutes which included efforts to identify 
trafficking victims. A new victim identification model 
was approved by the joint Government-NGO anti-trafficking 
network at the end of January 2009. The Government 
intends to begin using the model this year. 
 
¶38. (SBU) I: Post found no evidence that trafficking 
victims were unlawfully detained, jailed, and/or 
deported.  There were also no incidents of trafficking 
victims or witnesses having their rights to seek damages 
impeded. 
 
¶39. (SBU) J: Under Estonia's Victim Assistance Act (VAA), 
the MSA was responsible for overseeing assistance 
services for trafficking victims.  The MSA worked closely 
with local and county governments and NGOs in providing 
victim's assistance, as well as training and supervising 
volunteers. 
 
¶40. (SBU) J, cont: Under Estonia's Crime Victim's 
Compensation Act (CVCA), trafficking victims are eligible 
for financial assistance and compensation of up to 70 
percent of the damages caused by the crime.  During the 
reporting period, none of the CVCA recipients were 
identified as trafficking victims. 
 
¶41. (SBU) J, cont: During the reporting period, a Baltic 
Sea States region-wide witness protection agreement 
(signed by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) was in force. 
However, no Estonian trafficking victims elected to 
participate in the Baltic program. 
 
¶42. (SBU) J, cont: The MFA took steps to ensure that, 
upon repatriation, trafficking victims were made aware of 
assistance services available from GOE agencies and NGOs. 
The information sheet containing contact data for the 
Estonian Women's Shelter Union is available at Estonian 
Embassies.  Minor victims are referred to the Tartu Child 
Support Center for assistance. 
 
¶43. (SBU) J, cont: The Estonian Embassy in London 
assisted in repatriating a female trafficking victim back 
to Estonia from the UK in June 2008.  Upon her return to 
Estonia, the woman was met at the airport by the 
representative of the NGO 'Eluliin,' but she rejected any 
assistance. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs covered the 
repatriation costs of the victim. 
 
¶44. (SBU) K: The Ministry of Social Affairs holds an 
annual training session for consular officers on 
recognizing and assisting trafficking victims.  The 
training material is available electronically as well. 
Estonian Consulates and Embassies have developed good 
relations with NGOs and international organizations that 
serve trafficking victims. 
 
¶45. (SBU) L: The Government of Estonia provides medical 
aid, shelter, financial and legal assistance to its 
nationals who are repatriated as victims of trafficking. 
 
¶46. (SBU) M: The following NGOs and international 
organizations work with trafficking victims: 
 
--Living for Tomorrow (prevention and outreach; 
trafficking prevention hotline); 
--HIV/AIDS Prevention Center (prevention and outreach); 
--International Organization for Adolescents (prevention, 
outreach, and victim assistance); 
--Human Rights Legal Information Center (prevention and 
outreach); 
--Estonian Women's Studies and Resource Center (ENUT); 
--Tartu Child Support Center (prevention and support); 
--Equal (outreach and assistance to prostitutes); 
--Atoll (outreach and assistance to prostitutes); 
--International Organization for Migration (outreach, 
prevention, assistance to victims); 
--Eluliin 
--The Vega Center 
 
¶47. M, cont: In general, (as cited in paragraphs 34 B and 
35 C/D) during the reporting period, the GOE allotted 
200,000 USD to trafficking related training, campaigns 
and other activities.  Approximately 75 percent of this 
budget was spent on victim services, including hotlines, 
and the remaining 25 percent was spent on prevention. 
(See paragraph 34B for a description of available shelter 
services.) 
 
PREVENTION: 
----------- 
 
¶48. (SBU) A: The MFA has been active in disseminating 
informational materials on trafficking and consular 
services at the Ministry itself, on their webpage and at 
the Tallinn airport and harbors. The MFA also 
disseminated trafficking-related materials at TourEst 
2008, the annual tourism fair, which was attended by 
approximately 23,465 people over three days.  They plan 
to participate in TourEst 2009.  The MFA also operated a 
24-hour hotline for Estonians traveling abroad. Estonian 
Embassies and the MFA offered voluntary registration for 
Estonian citizens traveling abroad. Over 6,200 Estonians 
registered with the MFA and Estonian foreign missions 
prior to their travel abroad in 2008. 
 
¶49. (SBU) B: The GOE adequately monitored its borders for 
trafficking.  The GOE monitored immigration and 
emigration patterns for evidence of trafficking 
unilaterally and in concert with regional border guards 
and law-enforcement partners.  One strategy of the 2008 
National Action Plan was to pay closer attention to 
minors crossing the EU border with Russia, including 
questioning minors or persons accompanying minors, 
contacting the parents of a child traveling without them 
and requesting additional documents. During the reporting 
period there were no cases identified of trafficking 
minors. 
 
¶50. (SBU) C: The National Anti-Trafficking Network 
comprises not only representatives of the relevant 
ministries, but also NGOs. The representatives of the 
ministries have stressed that NGO participation in the 
network is crucial, as they have the best knowledge of 
the problem and have the closest contacts with 
trafficking victims. In 2008, the Government of Estonia 
acknowledged the Anti-Trafficking Network for a best 
practices award, noting the good cooperation of 
Government organizations with NGOs dealing with the TIP 
issue. 
 
¶51. (SBU) D: In 2006, the GOE founded a national Anti- 
Trafficking working group.  This group, represented by 
MFA, MIA, MOJ, MSA, Ministry of Education (ME), Ministry 
of Finance (MOF), Citizenship and Migration Board (CMB), 
the Border Guards, Police Board, Central Criminal Police 
(CCP), INTERPOL and EUROPOL liaison offices and the 
Prosecutor's Office, drafted a National Action Plan to 
combat trafficking for the period 2006-2009.  The MOJ is 
the lead agency and is responsible for the implementation 
of the plan and inter-agency coordination. There is also 
a public corruption taskforce under the authority of the 
MOJ.  Each year, a thorough review is conducted of the 
previous years' goals and areas for improvement are 
identified.  The 2008 goals are currently under review at 
the inter-ministerial level. 
 
¶52. (SBU) E: The GOE has undertaken several initiatives 
to reduce demand for sex services in Estonia.  In 2008, 
the MSA presented the results of research conducted in 
Estonia on demand issues.  Expert speakers from Denmark, 
Norway and Finland were invited. Sixty-three persons 
participated in the event, among them officials, NGOs, 
sociologists and Members of Parliament.  In October and 
November 2008, 'Living for Tomorrow,' together with the 
MSA, conducted a six-day training for youth counselors. 
Topics under discussion were trafficking, forced labor, 
prostitution and demand issues. Twenty-three persons took 
part in the training. The GOE also conducted a media 
campaign on the dangers of prostitution. In November 
2008, the MSA published a four-page addendum to the 
biggest Estonian daily Postimees (236,000 readers) called 
the 'Hidden Side of Prostitution' which aimed at reducing 
the demand and conducted prostitution prevention programs 
in schools. 
 
¶53. (SBU) E, cont: During the reporting period the MSA 
allotted about 6,300 USD for publishing two brochures: 
'Ten Myths about Prostitution' and 'Sex Slavery in Our 
Time.' Translated into Estonian were articles by Danish 
and Finnish sociologists Claus Lautrup and Marjut Yurkis 
and a book called 'What's Love Gotta Do With It' 
Reflections on psychotherapeutic work with buyers and 
sellers of sex'. All of these materials were distributed 
at seminars and lectures.  The MOER is also planning to 
include the topic of trafficking in persons into national 
curriculum as part of the risk behavior section in the 
social studies course in the 8th grade. 
 
¶54. (SBU) E, cont: Police also continued their efforts to 
crack down on area brothels.  In the beginning of 2006, 
there were 43 known brothels operating in Estonia. 
According to the Estonian Police, currently only 3 remain 
in operation. 
 
¶55. (SBU) F: There were no known instances of 
international child sex tourism by Estonian nationals. 
However, the Estonian MSA and various law enforcement 
agencies held regular trainings for child protection 
workers and police officers on how to recognize child 
trafficking victims. The Estonian Police has a special 
group that deals with sexual exploitation of children. 
Crimes of sexual exploitation of minors for sex purposes 
are one of the priorities of the State Prosecutor's 
Office. The GOE also took part in the Council of Baltic 
Sea States Working Group for Cooperation on Children at 
Risk. (Estonia has been a member of this work group since 
2002, and was the Chair Country for 2007-2008).  In 
November 2008, a representative of the MSA took part in 
the 3rd World Congress on the issue of child exploitation 
in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
¶56. (SBU) G: Estonia did not meet this criterion. 
 
DECKER