It has been discovered that two individuals from Uzbekistan were illegally held captive in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan for forced labor. The incident came to light following diligent efforts by the Almaty region police department in collaboration with the Department of Combating Organized Crime. The captives had been unlawfully detained for over three years.
According to the report, the Department of Combating Organized Crime of the Almaty region, with the aid of operational information, discovered the illegal deprivation of liberty of the two Uzbek citizens.
"On June 10, the fact of illegal deprivation of liberty of two citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the purpose of labor exploitation was discovered by the employees of the Department of Combating Organized Crime of the Almaty region with the help of operational information. As it turned out, citizen A., born in 1986 in Karasoy district, kept the victims for three years," the report says.
The suspect has been taken into custody and placed in a pretrial detention center. Legal proceedings have been initiated under Article 126, Part 3, Clause 2 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan, which addresses the illegal deprivation of liberty.
During the investigation, authorities also identified 22 other individuals from Uzbekistan who were found to be lacking the necessary documentation. Rapid search activities conducted by law enforcement agencies have brought attention to the presence of a larger network involved in such illicit activities.
The Kazakhstan authorities have committed to taking prompt and decisive action against those involved in human trafficking, forced labor, and related offenses. Measures will be implemented to ensure justice is served and that the victims receive the necessary support and protection they deserve. Additionally, efforts will be made to strengthen border control and enhance overall security measures to prevent future incidents.
Human Trafficking in Central Asia
the Global Data Hub on human trafficking reports over 6,000 Central Asian citizens have been trapped in slavery between 2005 to 2021. Uzbekistan ranks second in the number of citizens in slavery, with 2037 citizens experiencing some form of slavery over this time period. Kyrgyzstan takes first place with 2259 of its citizens experiencing slavery.
In terms of where most of the victims of human trafficking end up varies, however the main destinations are Russia and Kazakhstan, with many also being enslaved in their own countries.
How do people become slaves?
According to Anna Nastichenko, a psychologist from the "Alternativa" movement, individuals without proper education are often at higher risk of falling into the trap of enslavement. Nastichenko explained that life difficulties frequently serve as a contributing factor, leading to the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.
"Traffickers employ cunning tactics rather than directly depriving people of their freedom. They make threats like 'You will be imprisoned,' 'I will expose your intimate videos to your family,' or 'I will harm your relatives.' Victims, fearing the consequences, often succumb to these threats and agree to anything," Nastichenko revealed. She emphasized the importance of increasing the number of psychologists available and organizing round table discussions with the public to raise awareness about such stories. Nastichenko also pointed out that female citizens from Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries often remain silent about their experiences due to fear of criticism from others
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