FINNISH CASE REOPENS UNFINISHED TIP DEBATE IN

UNCLAS TALLINN 000743 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM EN SUBJECT: FINNISH CASE REOPENS UNFINISHED TIP DEBATE IN ESTONIA. REF: HELSINKI 00724 ¶1. (U) In July, Finnish prosecutors brought to trial a group of Estonians and Finns under TIP-specific statutes. The five Estonian and two Finnish traffickers were convicted of trafficking 15 Estonian women to Finland for prostitution. The ringleaders were given prison sentences and hefty fines; others were either fined or given lesser prison sentences. As Estonia does not have any TIP-specific laws, Estonian NGOs and GOE officials have watched very closely the first prosecution of an Estonian under TIP statutes in Finland (reftel). Throughout the Finnish case, Estonian law enforcement and prosecutors cooperated closely with their Finnish counterparts, according to Ministry of Justice (MOJ) TIP Advisor Kristiina Aavik. ¶2. (U) Estonian authorities are currently conducting their own investigation into the activities of the same gang in Estonia, and have so far charged five individuals with pimping. Those charged include the two alleged ring leaders of the gang (who directed their pimping operations from Amari prison where they were serving time for another sentence). Media reports claimed that some of the traffickers continued their criminal activities via cell phones while in prison in Estonia. (Now aware of the problem, authorities are examining equipment to jam all cell phone transmissions coming Estonian prisons). ¶3. (U) The case has received a great deal of attention in the Estonian press, consequently fueling the call from NGOs for the GOE to introduce TIP-specific statutes similar to those found in other countries in the region (i.e., Finland, Latvia, etc.). Presently, Estonia prosecutes TIP under "enslavement" (which many NGOs criticize as being too difficult to prove in court with prosecutors relying on lesser violations, like "pimping" to prosecute TIP cases). While the GOE has not indicated plans to introduce TIP specific legislation, the Parliament is planning to have an open hearing this autumn to discuss the problem of TIP in Estonia.