Special Operations of Police against Prostitutes

During a special operation, Baku Main Police last night arrested 45 prostitutes and 8 customers. Most of the women were citizens of Uzbekistan, and all the men were citizens of Azerbaijan. Law enforcement told Turan that the majority of the women were aged 17 to 20 years.

The operations were carried out in the Infinity bar (near the cinema Nizami) and the Dalga sauna (in the Khatai district).

"The deals" between the women and their clients were struck at Infinity; from there they were sent to the Dalga sauna. Police continue the search operations. These measures were carried out against the backdrop of the U.S. State Department warning of a possible downgrade of Azerbaijan's status in combatting human trafficking from the second group to the third group, which may result in sanctions against the country.

Alovsat Aliyev, head of the Center for Migration told Turan that despite shortcomings, in recent years some progress in the fight against human trafficking has been achieved.

"For the countries of Central Asia, Azerbaijan is a transit country. Citizens of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan are ferried across Azerbaijan to the UAE, Turkey, and Iran. At the same time, Azerbaijan is a country of destination for the citizens of Central Asia, Georgia, and even Afghanistan. Citizens of these countries become victims of human trafficking in Azerbaijan," said Aliyev.

The main claims against Azerbaijan lie in the fact that responsibility for trafficking does not involve officials. Landlords of dens are those who are usually considered to be responsible. However, as noted in the report of the State Department, victims of trafficking freely cross the borders and live in Azerbaijan as illegal migrants. This is hardly possible without high-ranking patrons. -03B06-