Investigating and prosecuting human trafficking in focus of OSCE training in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT, 24 July 2013 – Investigating and prosecuting human trafficking crimes was in focus of an OSCE-organized training course that concluded in Ashgabat today.

Some 20 judges, representatives of law enforcement bodies and defence lawyers from Turkmenistan participated in the two-day course. It aimed to upgrade the participants’ skills to interview victims of human trafficking while protecting their rights and avoiding a situation when they feel victims again.

“Human trafficking is an offense that makes men, women and children across the world to victims, by misleading and abusing them and subjecting them to various forms of exploitation,” said Ambassador Ivo Petrov, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“Today’s course is a continuation of the OSCE Centre’s activities aimed at promoting international standards on fighting human trafficking and supporting the host country’s efforts to effectively combat and prevent this grave crime.”

International experts briefed participants on best practices in investigating and prosecuting cases of human trafficking across the OSCE region, as well as in the identification of victims, victim assistance and interviewing practices.

“Irrespective of the tremendous efforts undertaken at the global, regional and national levels, trafficking in human beings for all forms of exploitation has grown into a phenomenon that occurs on a massive scale,” said Hana Šnajdrova, Police Affairs Officer and Adviser on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings with the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna. “To address this issue, it is necessary to combine those approaches that currently exist and are effective, including good practices in interviewing victims.”