UZBEKISTAN: SUBMISSION FOR EIGHTH ANNUAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 TASHKENT 000270

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR G, PRM, AND DRL; G/TIP FOR MEGAN HALL AND SHEREEN
FARAJ; SCA/RA FOR JESSICA MAZZONE; INL FOR ANDREW BUHLER
AND NORIS BALABANIAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: SUBMISSION FOR EIGHTH ANNUAL
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT

REF: SECSTATE 2731

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY


1. (SBU) Post,s submission for the eighth annual Trafficking
in Persons (TIP) report begins in paragraph 4. Per reftel,
this information covers the period from April 2007 to March

2008. The information provided in the report has been
gathered from numerous sources, including the Government of
Uzbekistan (GOU),Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe Project Coordination Office in Tashkent, the
International Organization for Migration (IOM),USAID, local
TIP-focused NGOs, and local press reports.


2. (SBU) Embassy Tashkent's TIP point of contact is:

Timothy P. Buckley
Political Officer
Tel: (998-71) 120-5450 x2114
Fax: (998-71) 120-6335
Email: BuckleyTP@state.gov


3. (SBU) Number of hours spent on report preparation:

P/E officer: 40 hours
USAID: 2 hours
PAS: 2 hours
DCM: 1 hour


4. (SBU) Post's response is keyed to the questions provided
in paragraphs 27-30 of reftel.

--------------
OVERVIEW
--------------


A. Uzbekistan is a source country, and to a lesser extent a
transit country, for trafficking in persons. Statistical
data and information on trafficking activities and trends are
scant and incomplete. An International Organization for
Migration (IOM) study completed in fall 2005 estimated that
over half a million Uzbeks are victims of trafficking for
labor and sexual exploitation annually, but the premier local
NGO thinks this figure includes all annual labor migrants,
not all of whom are trafficking victims. The study, which
was funded by USAID, cited the absence of effective
mechanisms to regulate labor migration as a key factor in
exacerbating the labor trafficking problem. The study also
noted that 90% of the surveyed victims of sexual exploitation
hide the truth of their experience from friends and
relatives. There are no comprehensive statistics available
on the extent or magnitude of the problem. The available
sources of information regarding TIP are: the Ministry of
Internal Affairs (MVD),Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),
the National Security Service (NSS),the State Customs
Committee, General Prosecutor's Office, media sources,
private citizens, human rights activists, the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Tashkent
Project Coordination Office, the International Organization
for Migration (IOM),TIP-focused NGO Istiqbolli Avlod, and
various other NGOs working on TIP. After a deterioration in
the diplomatic relationship accelerated following the Andijon
violence in May 2005, the Uzbek Government, including law
enforcement and judicial officials, was less willing to meet
with U.S. Embassy officials to discuss TIP and many other
issues. However, in the second half of 2007 the relationship
began to steadily improve, and the Government of Uzbekistan

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was more responsive in providing data and granting requested
meetings.

Men are mainly trafficked to illegal labor markets in
Kazakhstan and Russia, generally in the construction,
agricultural (tobacco and cotton),and service sectors. An
IOM report published in May 2005 highlighted an increase in
labor trafficking from Uzbekistan to southern regions of
Kazakhstan. It noted that the majority of these migrants
work without contracts, receiving only partial or in some
cases no pay for their labor. Victims of labor trafficking
typically cross the border by truck or bus to Kazakhstan.
There have also been reports of men being taken by train to
Russia and Ukraine. NGO and GOU sources reported that
Shymkent, Kazakhstan; Moscow, Russia; Baku, Azerbaijan;
Tbilisi, Georgia; and Osh, Kyrgyzstan served as transit
points, often for Uzbek citizens traveling with false
documents. Under Uzbek law, the only permitted form of
overseas employment is through contracts arranged through the
Ministry of Labor. The Ministry arranges for thousands of
Uzbek citizens to work abroad. The majority of contracts are
for jobs in South Korea. All other labor migration is
illegal, and the Government has prosecuted individuals for
working illegally abroad. Potential migrant workers must
seek middlemen to facilitate employment abroad, thus opening
the door to traffickers. Since 2002, Uzbekistan has
occasionally restricted overland travel by its citizens to
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Many individuals traveling for
employment cross the border illegally.

Uzbekistan is a source country for both labor and sexual
trafficking. The typical sexual trafficking victim in
Uzbekistan is a young woman (age 17-30). According to NGOs,
the Government, the media, and information gathered by the
Embassy, most female victims of sexual exploitation were
trafficked to the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Russia,
Thailand, Turkey, India, Israel, Malaysia, South Korea, and
Japan. Many reports of women being trafficked abroad
indicate that the victims traveled by air, although NGO
workers report that secondary airports and transit routes are
becoming more prevalent since authorities are reportedly much
tougher at the main international airport in Tashkent. Many
victims have been unwilling to become involved in legal
proceedings that could result in their testimony becoming
public due to both societal pressure and the fear of
retaliation from their traffickers. Victims are also well
aware that under Uzbek law, female smugglers convicted of
first-time criminal offenses are frequently amnestied.
Because many human traffickers are women, this practice
further discourages victims from participating in legal
proceedings. Uzbekistan Airways has an extensive route
network that provides direct service from Tashkent to the
United Arab Emirates (UAE),Thailand, Turkey, Israel,
Malaysia, India, South Korea, and numerous European
destinations; however, due to strict visa regimes it is
difficult for traffickers to use Tashkent as a transit point
for victims from other countries. The main anti-TIP NGO is
aware of only a handful of trafficking victims from other
countries who transited Uzbekistan over the past several
years.

According to the Government and NGOs, internal trafficking
generally takes place from rural to urban areas. Internal
trafficking exists in agriculture, construction, domestic
servitude, and other forms of unskilled labor. Methods used
include withholding of pay and/or identity documents, such as
passports. In order to work legally in a particular region

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or city, a citizen must register with the local
administration and obtain a permission stamp in his or her
passport. Those living and working in a city without that
stamp are doing so illegally and are subject to fines, jail
time, and removal from the city. Traffickers threaten to
inform the police of people who are working illegally. This
is especially true in Tashkent city. According to IOM, sex
trafficking most often originates in Tashkent, Bukhara, and
Samarkand, while labor trafficking originates mainly from
Karakalpakstan, Surkhandarya and the Ferghana Valley.

The GOU has stated that labor trafficking constitutes the
majority of cases and that trafficking for sexual
exploitation has increased. Information provided by NGOs and
media reporting suggests that both labor and sexual
trafficking are increasing, particularly as economic
conditions deteriorate. There is anecdotal evidence that in
many villages with high unemployment most of the men have
left to work abroad, leaving only the elderly, women, and
children. However, there are no comprehensive data
definitively showing this upward trend. One high level GOU
official said that little can be done to stop trafficking
since, in many cases, people can only find work abroad. This
official and others have acknowledged that the stagnation of
the economy is making the fight against trafficking more
difficult. Nonetheless, a high-level official in the
Ministry of Internal Affairs said in February 2008 that "the
trafficking-in-persons issue is now on the national agenda."


B. Often traffickers make contacts with the victims through
family members. Several victims have said that their friends
introduced them to recruiters. Traffickers are also known to
pose as entrepreneurs and businesspeople. Agents in
nightclubs or prostitution rings solicit women, some of whom
are already engaged in prostitution. Victims are offered
jobs and decent salaries relative to low local salaries, and
victims often believe they will work in restaurants or as
cleaners. Labor trafficking victims are typically moved
across the border to Kazakhstan by bus or truck, or to Russia
by train, whereas sexual trafficking victims are often given
plane tickets and are met by their future trafficker upon
arrival in the destination country. False documents are
being used to move some victims, and a main NGO reports that
Almaty, Kazakhstan is becoming a more common departure point
by air since officials have increased scrutiny of single,
female passengers flying out of Tashkent Airport. Osh,
Kyrgyzstan is also a common departure point, although NGO
staff said its use is decreasing.

Government officials have steadily increased cooperation with
NGOs in fighting TIP during this reporting period. This is
evidenced by the extensive participation of Government
officials in anti-TIP training sessions in all 12 provinces,
the nationwide educational campaign, and the direct
cooperation of Government officials with TIP-focused NGOs.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has a special criminal
investigation unit and a criminal prevention unit tasked with
preventing TIP. There is a willingness to take action
against Government officials linked to TIP, especially at the
lower provincial level where corruption is common.
Recognizing its own limited resources, the Government is
willing to make use of others' resources (NGOs and
international organizations) to fight TIP, and anti-TIP NGOs
now enjoy a more cooperative, open relationship with the
Government of Uzbekistan.

The Government inter-agency working group on TIP, formerly

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supported by the OSCE with INL funding, concluded its work
upon the completion of its main task to draft comprehensive
legislation, which as of February 2008 was under
consideration in parliament. The National Security Service
(NSS),which is particularly powerful in Uzbekistan and
includes the Border Guards, conducted five inter-agency
meetings to discuss TIP issues in 2007. The MVD's
specialized Anti-Trafficking Unit has taken consistent
measures to fight trafficking. Officials from the MVD,
Prosecutor's Office, Ministry of Education, Ministry of
Health, and Ministry of Labor are also cooperating with NGOs
in an ongoing public information campaign to raise awareness.
The draft national action plan to combat TIP remains with
the Presidential Apparatus, and government officials noted
they expect a decree to be issued by the President in 2008 as
a parallel step to the TIP-specific legislation. The
Government continues to direct border guards at airports to
give more scrutiny to unaccompanied young women traveling to
the UAE, Turkey, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia; it
authorizes them to deny such women permission to leave the
country. Likewise, the Office of Passports and Exit Visas
under the MVD has ordered its officers to scrutinize
applications of young men and women traveling abroad for
work.


C. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD),Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA),National Security Service (NSS),
Customs Committee, Ministry of Labor, General Prosecutor's
Office, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Social Welfare, Oliy
Majlis (Parliament),and National Women's Affairs Committee
are all involved in anti-trafficking efforts. Mahallas
(traditional neighborhood associations) and
government-sponsored youth organizations also take part in
prevention efforts. The MVD plays the most prominent role as
the preeminent investigative body and is also responsible for
issuing exit permits.


D. Government officials addressing the issue of trafficking
must cope with cultural taboos, corruption, lack of
resources, and poorly developed criminal investigative
techniques. However, progress has been made in overcoming
cultural taboos in discussing sexual trafficking, and
officials at both the local and national level now regularly
address the topic publicly. Despite concerns that mass labor
migration could reflect poorly on Uzbekistan,s economic
conditions, officials now also admit labor trafficking is a
problem. Lack of funds greatly limits the Government's
ability to address TIP. Even though officials have addressed
the problem publicly, they lack experience and expertise on
combating TIP. However, this is changing as a result of an
ongoing project funded by the State Department,s Bureau of
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and
implemented by the key anti-TIP NGO in Uzbekistan. More than
200 Uzbek law enforcement officials in all 12 provinces
received training in 2007, and NGOs have already noticed
increased knowledge about the issue among rank-and-file
officers and greater sensitivity towards victims. The MVD
reports that, nationwide, it has 118 officers working
specifically on TIP. These are in turn supported by an
additional 154 regular police officers working on the issue,
for a total of 272 dedicated officers. However, overall
corruption is believed to be a problem. The MVD and the
Prosecutor's Office have both received U.S. Government
training in criminal investigative techniques, including the
handling of crime witnesses and victims.

The Government has made an effort to increase the level of

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support for prevention and education programs. Government
officials have been working closely with TIP-focused NGOs
supported by IOM, USAID, and the State Department,s INL
Bureau to establish prevention programs. The Consular
Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has continued
to develop an assistance and repatriation program designed to
make it easier for Uzbek trafficking victims abroad to
return. In some cases the time frame for identifying victims
and issuing certificates of return has been reduced from six
months to two weeks, thereby eliminating long, unnecessary
detentions; often this has been the result of close
cooperation with a local NGO. A main NGO reported that the
police, MFA, Consular Department, border guards, and overseas
diplomatic missions began notifying it of women returning
from abroad who appeared as if they might be victims of
trafficking. The NGO noted that increased cooperation with
the government over the past year has made it easier to
operate more effectively. The NGO is regularly allowed to
assist groups of women returning from abroad at the airport
and help them through entry processing. In Karakalpakstan,
the MVD has distributed brochures warning of the dangers of
trafficking and provided other travel-related information to
all first-time passport recipients. The brochures are
available in Russian, Uzbek and Karakalpak.


E. (SBU) The GOU regularly monitors anti-trafficking efforts
conducted by relevant ministries. MVD, prosecutors, and MFA
officials speak publicly about trafficking during speeches,
news releases, and news conferences. Often the speeches take
place during training sessions on combating TIP. IOM started
anti-trafficking operations in Tashkent in 2003 through an
affiliated local NGO. IOM's local NGO partners operate ten
TIP-focused hotlines throughout Uzbekistan, which received
over 17,806 calls in 2007, which is an eight percent increase
over 2006.

--------------
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS
--------------


A. The law prohibits all crimes associated with trafficking,
including trafficking of minors, and provides for penalties
of five to eight years imprisonment for trafficking-related
crimes. At present the Uzbek Criminal Procedure Code
addresses several trafficking-related offenses. The most
common charge is Article 135 (The Recruitment of People for
Exploitation). The Government reported that additional
offenses that have been or can be used in TIP prosecutions
included Article 137 (Kidnapping); Article 138 (Forced
Illegal Imprisonment); Article 209 (Official Forgery);
Article 210 (Reception of Bribe) and Article 211 (Giving of a
Bribe). Recruitment for trafficking is punishable by 6
months to 3 years' imprisonment and fines of up to
approximately 1,900,000 soum (approximately $1,520). The
recruitment charge could be levied against international or
domestic traffickers. All law enforcement agencies are
charged with upholding the anti-trafficking provisions of the
criminal code. The current laws are not adequate to cover
the full scope of TIP, and long-promised specific
anti-trafficking legislation was finally forwarded from the
Presidential Apparatus to the lower house of the parliament
in January 2008. On February 21, 2008 the lower house
approved the "first reading" of the draft law, meaning the
legislative body agreed in principle to the TIP legislation.
The next step is for the detailed provisions of the draft to
be examined and possibly modified before a subsequent vote at
an upcoming plenary session of the parliament.

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B. Trafficking-related crimes come with penalties of between
five to eight years in prison. However, under proposed
amendments to the criminal code submitted to the parliament
in January 2008, sentences would increase to 10 to 15 years.
MVD officials have said that these proposed amendments are
critical to ensuring that convicted traffickers are not
amnestied. Typically, amnesties are extended to those
convicted of crimes carrying prison terms of less than ten
years. Under the proposed amendments, therefore, fewer
traffickers will be amnestied. MVD officials have expressed
frustration at convicting traffickers and then seeing them
amnestied. Another reason that traffickers receive amnesties
is because many of them are women, who are much more likely
to receive an amnesty for their first offense, in accordance
with Uzbek cultural beliefs. Numerous press clippings during
the reporting period show that offenders are indeed being
punished with sentences of 5-8 years in prison.


C. There are no specific penalties for labor trafficking
offenses. However, recruiters using deceptive recruitment
practices are often prosecuted under other sections of the
criminal code dealing with trafficking-related crimes.
Uzbekistan is a major source country, and stories of
deceptive labor recruiters promising poor Uzbeks lucrative
jobs
overseas appear frequently in press articles.


D. According to Department of Justice officials, penalties
for sexual assault in Uzbekistan range from three to seven
years imprisonment, which is less than the sentences
typically meted out for trafficking offenders. Sexual
assault of a person under 14 years of age is punishable by 15
to 20 years in prison. Sexual assault by multiple persons
carries up to 15 years.


E. According to the Uzbek Criminal Code, prostitution per se
is not criminalized. However, owning and operating brothels,
as well as pimping, are criminalized. Illegal brothels do
operate in Uzbekistan, but not openly.


F. In contrast from previous years, the Government made
significant efforts to provide detailed trafficking
prosecution statistics for 2007,. Data was provided via
official diplomatic correspondence from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs in Tashkent, the Uzbekistan Embassy in
Washington, DC, and in person from the Deputy Minister of
Internal Affairs. According to the Government, 273
trafficking cases (involving 303 suspects) were investigated
in 2007. The suspects included 161 males and 142 females;
this is the first time a gender breakdown of trafficking
offenders was available, and counters previous anecdotal
evidence that traffickers are predominantly women. Courts
subsequently considered 139 cases (involving 185 suspects),
which in Uzbekistan almost certainly results in a guilty
verdict.

Many convicted traffickers do not serve complete sentences;
they are amnestied. Amnesties are common for those with
prison terms of less than ten years, especially for women in
accordance with strong Uzbek cultural beliefs. Since the
present trafficking-related sentences range from 5-8 years
and many convicted traffickers are women, convicted
traffickers are often eligible to receive amnesties.
However, Department of Justice officials stress that this is
not automatic and is only possible for first-time offenders.
Officials claim that, in the past five years since they

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tracked the data, there have been no known recidivists. The
government provided data on amnesties which indicates 28
cases (involving 53 traffickers) were given amnesty in 2007,
including 10 who admitted guilt in the preliminary
investigation phase, 26 who acknowledged wrongdoing before
the court, two who were amnestied and released from jail, and
15 who were amnestied and had jail sentences reduced.
However, there were far fewer amnesties than court cases,
which illustrates that, in contrast to previous years, more
offenders are serving time in prison for
trafficking-in-persons crimes. The government reports that,
as of January 31, 2008, there are 66 trafficking offenders
incarcerated for violations of Article #135 of the Criminal
Code (recruiting people for exploitation). Officials were
not able to confirm a breakdown showing whether cases were
for sexual or labor exploitation. Sometimes amnesties are
granted immediately and others are granted on a large-scale
in conjunction with important national holidays or
milestones, so it is difficult to determine how much of the
sentence is served before an amnesty is applied.

Previously provided data showed 148 people were convicted for
TIP-crimes in 2005, which according to the General
Prosecutor's Office represented a significant increase over
the three previous years combined (147 total),reflecting the
emergence of the trafficking-in-persons issue on the law
enforcement agenda. In 2005 the MVD registered 250 crimes
under Article 135, adding that 268 people were detained on
the basis of these crimes, and that 675 people were
recognized as victims. In 2005 the GOU stated that TIP
activity related to sexual exploitation was growing, as
evidenced by the fact that 196 of the total number of victims
that year were sexually exploited.


G. The government typically lacks resources and skills to
provide extensive training; however in February 2008 the
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized that more
training has recently been added to the curriculum for young
officers at the training academy and additional courses are
being developed in response to this recent challenge.
The MVD expressed its appreciation for ongoing training
programs provided by the United States (through the State
Department,s INL Bureau and the Embassy,s Democracy
Commission Grants) and NGOs (especially the IOM-affiliated
group Istiqbolli Avlod, which is implementing a two-year INL
program). In 2007, Istiqbolli Avlod conducted 10 training
events for law enforcement officials throughout Uzbekistan
involving more than 200 officers from MVD Units for Fighting
Crimes Related to Recruitment of Persons for the Purpose of
Exploitation, Units for Entry-Exit and Citizenship, and Crime
Prevention Units. The General Prosecutor,s Office publicly
cited these training sessions as contributing to a 35%
increase in the government,s ability to detect trafficking
crimes from complaints. The network of trafficking NGOs
consistently reported increased awareness among law
enforcement personnel to the problem and greater sensitivity
towards victims as a result of these training sessions.

In addition,,various embassies and international
organizations have also provided training on counter-TIP to
Uzbek law enforcement officials. The United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) launched a new anti-TIP program
in March 2008 that includes training for law enforcement
officers and the OSCE has also proposed a counter-TIP project
for 2008 that also includes funding support from the State
Department,s INL Bureau.


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H. The Government has cooperative relationships and
agreements with several countries and is party to the Minsk
Convention. The Government works very closely with Interpol
Tashkent on combating TIP. The GOU readily acknowledges that
it needs more cooperative relationships and agreements with
countries of destination in order to more effectively
prosecute trafficking. MVD officers have expressed strong
interest in strengthening their relations with counterparts
in Russia, Kazakhstan, and the UAE. In the next phase of an
ongoing INL-funded program, IOM plans to organize meetings to
help build these connections in 2008.


I. There are no known requests for extradition of accused
traffickers. The Government has extradition agreements with
several countries. The Government may extradite its citizens
to another country if there is a bilateral extradition treaty
in place.


J. The Government is not tolerant of trafficking. NGOs have
obtained anecdotal information regarding low level, local
corruption usually involving forged or fake travel documents
or marriage certificates.


K. There is no evidence of direct Government involvement in
trafficking. However, some Government employees may have
accepted bribes from traffickers to facilitate their
operations. According to unconfirmed information from NGOs,
local officials have falsified or sold travel documents in
the past. These allegations usually involve the issuance of
exit visas. In February 2008 a full-page article appeared in
a prominent state-controlled newspaper describing a
trafficking-in-persons case. In a frank admission of
local-level corruption, the article noted that a trafficking
conspirator quickly obtained travel documents and permits for
a female victim that could only have been possible with the
help of "connections." The Deputy Minister of Internal
Affairs said that local level passport officials have been
given specific instructions to carefully analyze suspicious
travel plans, especially among first-time applicants. There
is scant information from NGOs alleging that, at the local
level, individual police officers have received bribes from
traffickers. In April 2007 the local press reported that a
Lieutenant Colonel working as an investigator at the Ministry
of Internal Affairs branch at Tashkent Airport was sentenced
to ten years in prison for demanding a USD 500 bribe from a
repatriated victim of trafficking.


L. Uzbekistan does not contribute troops to international
peace-keeping efforts.


M. Uzbekistan does not have an identified child sex tourism
problem. It is difficult for individual tourist visitors to
obtain tourist visas and, if they do and visit Uzbekistan,
there are onerous registration requirements once in the
country. Flights to Uzbekistan are also expensive and
sporadic, and a strong cultural emphasis on family honor make
it an unlikely child sex tourism destination.

--------------
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS
--------------


A. Uzbekistan is mainly a source country for trafficking and
NGOs have reported almost no foreign trafficking victims who
ended up in Uzbekistan. A strict visa regime, even for
transit passengers, and inconvenient, expensive flight
networks also make Uzbekistan an impractical transit point.

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B. The Government has provided only limited direct support
to trafficking victims within Uzbekistan. Government data
indicates that in 2007 the National Security Service (NSS)
provided assistance to 40 trafficking victims who
participated in investigations; their testimonies led to 23
convictions. The Government lacks funding for sustained
support to individual victims. There are two shelters in
Uzbekistan that support trafficking victims, one in the
capital Tashkent and one in Bukhara. Both are currently
funded by USAID and operated by IOM through the local NGO
Istiqbolli Avlod. The Government previously told the Embassy
that it is interested in investigating the possibility of
supporting Tashkent's shelter for victims of trafficking, but
this has not materialized. The Foreign Ministry assists
victims in returning to Uzbekistan from abroad by providing
passports or travel documents at no cost to stranded victims.
Airport police contact a women's NGO in Tashkent when they
identify suspected trafficking victims or in cases of the
return of known female deportees from abroad. The Tashkent
shelter has housed 286 victims since it opened in 2004 and
also offers legal, psychological, medical, and career
development assistance. The Tashkent shelter assisted 88
victims in 2007 alone. The Bukhara shelter has served 59
victims since opening during 2006, including 34 in 2007.
NGOs describe an urgent need for additional victim shelters
in the remote northwest Autonomous Republic of
Karakalpakstan, as well as in the Ferghana Valley.


C. The Government lacks funding for widespread support for
victims, although officials said that provincial governors
have been tasked to provide employment opportunities for
returned traffickers. It is unlikely that such efforts are
extensive thus far, but this is a prelude to formal
requirements that are included in the draft national action
plan, which officials expect to be implemented as a
Presidential decree concurrent with the passage of the draft
legislation. There was no funding support provided to
international NGOs, although the government has supported
awareness campaigns conducted by local NGOs and
neighborhood-level groups.


D. The NGO Istiqbolli Avlod ("Future Generation"),as well as
IOM, are in regular contact with Consular and airport
officials regarding returning TIP victims. As a result of
improved government cooperation and sensitivity, their staffs
are regularly allowed into restricted areas to greet and
assist returning victims. Since the opening of the Tashkent
victims' shelter in December 2004, IOM has provided victims
with more long-term assistance. IOM and Istiqbolli Avlod
reported assisting 477 trafficking victims in 2007 who
returned to Uzbekistan. IOM officials are also in regular
contact with Uzbek consular officials in the UAE, Thailand,
Turkey, Malaysia and China. NGOs have reported improved
cooperation from the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs
through its consular missions abroad in providing timely
documents. A series of USAID-funded hotlines received 17,806
calls in 2007, an eight percent increase from 2006.


E. While there are no official laws outlawing prostitution
per se, Uzbek law prohibits brothels and pimping. Illegal
brothel operations are small and localized, and there is no
known problem of foreign sex workers working in Uzbekistan.
Visa requirements are very strict to enter the country and,
once here, there are stringent internal registration and
monitoring requirements that affect all foreigners.


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F. Trafficking victims are not jailed or prosecuted upon
their return to Uzbekistan. Upon arrival, victims are
typically allowed a few days to rest before filing police
reports. However, victims are requested to sign
documentation in instances when they departed the country
illegally, but they are immediately amnestied and not charged
with this crime. The Prosecutor's Office and the MVD have
reported that they recognize the importance of not treating
victims as criminals, and one high-level official noted that
"it would just make a bad situation worse." Various training
sessions, which emphasize the victim-based approach, have
also allowed investigation-level officers to see the value of
the victim,s testimony.


G. The Government has increasingly encouraged victims to
give statements and assist with investigations. MVD
officials have made clear that voluntary cooperation of
victims is critical to building trafficking cases. Victims
may seek civil redress, file civil suits, and/or seek legal
action against traffickers. There are no formal programs in
place to effectively protect victims who might be material
witnesses. There is no victim restitution program. NGOs
reported that, as a result of training programs,
investigating officers are more sensitive to victims compared
to previous years, when the prevailing attitude was that they
"got what they deserved." Furthermore, authorities have
started to permit attorneys who work with the NGOs to sit in
on depositions, which substantially increases victims'
comfort level in participating in investigations and reminds
officers to be considerate. Nonetheless, during a recent
visit to the trafficking shelter in Tashkent, an NGO official
noted that a majority of the victims present were too
ashamed, emotional, or frightened to cooperate with police
requests to assist in investigations.


H. The Government provides minimal protection to victims or
witnesses. Government officials have visited one NGO's
office and provided guidance to returned victims about
answering the phone and questions from strangers. An MVD
officer has also provided victims with his cellular phone
number to call in case of an emergency. Most long-term
victim support is provided by the USAID-funded shelters in
Tashkent and Bukhara.


I. According to the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, the
Government has tried to improve training to recognize
trafficking victims, especially to young officers studying in
the training academy. The chief of the MVD,s anti-TIP unit
added that they are still responding to the recent challenges
posed by this "young crime." The Government regularly
provided in-kind contributions for training, such as venues
and transportation for NGO representatives. IOM officials
speak with Uzbek Consuls abroad at least once a week.


J. The Government provides little financial assistance to
repatriated nationals who are victims of trafficking. The
government does, however, assist victims in returning to
Uzbekistan. According to Uzbek law, girls under the age of 18
qualify for assistance during repatriation, but the sums are
small.


K. NGOs working with trafficking victims include IOM, which
operates through its local affiliated NGO Istiqbolli Avlod.
This NGO in turn has a network of 10 regional NGOs around the
country. According to July 2007 data, IOM provided airfare
to return 477 victims to Uzbekistan from various countries
and had registered 659 trafficking cases involving Uzbek

TASHKENT 00000270 011 OF 014


victims. With USAID support, IOM provides two shelters for
victims staffed by a full-time doctor and psychologist and
part-time trainers to assist them in their repatriation. The
Tashkent shelter has assisted 286 victims since opening in
2004, and the Bukhara shelter has assisted 59 victims since
its 2006 opening. The Embassy Democracy Commission also
supported three counter-TIP projects through local partners,
including a women,s NGO which organized a series of
vocational trainings and to prevent trafficking; a group of
young journalists who designed an Uzbek language website that
regularly posts articles on human trafficking, exploitation
of children, and unemployment; and an NGO which provides free
legal consultations to labor migrants and advice on how to
prevent themselves from becoming TIP victims. Cooperation
between certain local NGOs and the local authorities remains
strong; IOM and other TIP-focused NGOs are in close, regular
contact with GOU officials, meeting returning victims at the
airport and assisting them with their readjustment.

--------------
PREVENTION
--------------


A. The GOU continued to repeatedly acknowledge in public
forums that, as a recent global challenge, TIP exists and is
a problem in Uzbekistan. It has done this during press
conferences, as well as at anti-TIP training seminars and
conferences. The Government has emphasized that TIP problems
are just as serious as in surrounding countries that fared
better on previous versions of the TIP report, especially
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,and Georgia. The Government believes
that the focus should also be on transit and destination
countries, and that more effective multilateral mechanisms
are needed for combating trafficking.


B. In 2007 there was an increase in newspaper articles,
television programs, and radio shows discussing trafficking
in persons. According to government-provided data, there
were 360 counter-TIP articles printed in newspapers and
magazines; close monitoring of daily press clips confirmed
that more attention has been devoted to the topic, including
a front-page article when an embassy officer met with the
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs to update this report.
The government also reported that MVD officers participated
in 184 radio speeches to raise awareness about TIP in 2007
and that 793 television segments were aired throughout the
country. Ministry of Foreign Affairs representatives
attended an embassy-sponsored screening of an American
TIP-themed film in the summer of 2007 and expressed interest
in broadcasting it on Uzbek national television (however, the
Department reported that the U.S. network would not grant
copyright permission). However, the Embassy received
permission to distribute copies of the film to NGOs
throughout the country, which are using it in local in-house
awareness-raising efforts. The National Security Service
(NSS) also produced videos describing how TIP criminal groups
operate, which were broadcast on state-run media.

The state radio also continued airing awareness campaigns
that are sponsored jointly by the MVD and IOM, particularly
in the regions. Regional television stations worked with
NGOs to air informational public service announcements (PSAs)
regarding the dangers of TIP and to advertise ten regional
TIP hotlines run by the NGOs. An NGO in Surkhandarya
received an Embassy Democracy Commission grant to conduct
radio PSAs raising awareness about trafficking. A group in
Tashkent also received Democracy Commission funds to

TASHKENT 00000270 012 OF 014


establish a website that often includes articles on human
trafficking and exploitation. A different NGO outside of
Tashkent used Democracy Commission funds to support free
legal consultations to labor migrants and provided advice
about how to avoid becoming a victim of human trafficking.
The Government likewise cooperated with NGOs and allowed them
to place posters warning about the dangers of TIP on public
buses, passport offices, in subway cars, and consular
sections abroad. USAID provided funding support for these
public informational campaigns. The Government has likewise
paid to translate these posters into the Karakalpak language
and distribute them for those living in the westernmost
region of Uzbekistan. The Government permitted NGOs to
advertise ten regional TIP hotlines on local television
stations. As a result of these awareness campaigns, IOM's
ten USAID-funded hotlines received a total of 17,806 calls
during 2007, representing an eight percent increase over

2006. The majority of these calls were inquiries about
employment abroad, and IOM sources said that about 10% of
callers specified trafficking in their calls. The GOU also
jointly runs awareness programs in schools and colleges.
Many schools have cooperated with a local NGO to hold summer
camps on raising awareness of trafficking.

The GOU formed "coordinating units" in Nukus, Termez, Jizzak,
Navoi, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Syrdarya Provinces, and a
joint unit for Namangan and Andijon Provinces. These units
combine the efforts of NGOs and the government and include
representatives from the MVD, Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Education, Ministry of Labor, Prosecutor's Office, and local
NGOs. Religious leaders in Jizzak Province have also been
trained to speak out against trafficking in persons. Imams
have mentioned the dangers of trafficking during Friday
prayers.


C. The relationship between GOU officials, NGOs, and other
civil society elements improved substantially in 2007.
Istiqbolli Avlod attributed a better working relationship to
its strong, sustained efforts to make inroads with the
government, and the INL-funded trainings have helped build
mutual trust and a working relationship. As the government
has increasingly admitted the prevalence of the TIP problem
in Uzbekistan, it has encouraged NGOs to do more and relied
on them to provide support services to victims that are not
offered by the government. The government, which has been
suspicious of international NGOs with foreign funding
streams, seems to have accepted the positive role anti-TIP
NGOs play.


D. Uzbekistan carefully monitors the whereabouts of its
citizens within the country, but it does not have extensive
records of actual outmigration. However, all citizens
wishing to depart the country (with the exception of some CIS
countries, including Kazakhstan) must obtain an exit permit
stamp in their passports. MVD officials note that next-
generation passport technology will improve its capacity to
track migration data. Uzbekistan will start rolling out new
biometric passports in 2008 and intends to complete the
project by 2011, when a majority of old passports are
scheduled to expire. There are resources budgeted to provide
the necessary data collection equipment to all border posts
as part of a multi-year project. Border guards have been
instructed to screen for trafficking victims at key exit
points. Authorities have reportedly been very successful at
Tashkent Airport, but the large number of northbound migrants
crossing the land borders with Kazakhstan make it difficult
for authorities to identify potential trafficking victims.

TASHKENT 00000270 013 OF 014




E. Inter-agency cooperation on TIP issues appears to be
limited. A previous inter-agency working group developed
draft legislation that is currently in the parliament but
disbanded once the draft was completed. The MVD is mainly
responsible for anti-TIP activities within the country, and
it does have a special unit which coordinates the Ministry,s
activities throughout the country. On a multilateral basis a
Central Asia Regional Information Center (CARICC) was
established in late 2007 which, despite its counter-narcotics
focus, is expected to facilitate anti-TIP cooperation between
law enforcement agencies in the region. There is no public
corruption task force in Uzbekistan.


F. The Government has developed a draft national action plan
on TIP, which it plans to implement as a Presidential decree
concurrent with the expected passage of its new anti-TIP
legislation. The MVD, NSS, MFA, Ministry of Labor, Ministry
of Health, Supreme Court, Ministry of Education, General
Prosecutor's Office, and NGOs were involved in its
development. However the draft is under review at the
Presidential Apparatus, and has not been finalized or signed.
Amendments which would strengthen Article 135 of the
Criminal Code (The Recruitment of People for Exploitation)
were submitted to the Presidential Apparatus in summer 2005
and finally forwarded to the parliament in early 2008.


G. The Government of Uzbekistan has made substantial efforts
during the reporting period to implement its own awareness
campaign by dedicating time on state-controlled media to
anti-trafficking public announcements featuring law
enforcement officials. According to government data there
were 184 radio broadcasts and 793 television spots throughout
the country. The target audience is generally potential sex
trafficking victims. The government also supports awareness
efforts conducted by NGOs by permitting the use of space in
public places and transportation for awareness-raising
brochures and posters, many of which include information
about the USAID-supported network of hotlines. Uzbekistan is
a source country, and those who form the demand for Uzbek
victims of forced labor are located abroad.


H. Not applicable


I. Not applicable

--------------
TIP Heroes
--------------


A. Post is pleased to nominate Ms. Liliya Khamzaeva as an
anti-trafficking hero for inclusion in the 2008 report. Ms.
Khamzaeva has worked as the Program Assistant at the Uzbek
NGO Istiqbolli Avlod for more than four years and has been
instrumental in raising the profile of the trafficking in
persons issue in Uzbekistan. Ms. Khamzaeva, who
speaks fluent English, has worked tirelessly to liaise with
international organizations and prepare documentation for
Uzbek trafficking victims to return from abroad. Istiqbolli
Avlod, in parternship with IOM, helps victims to return from
abroad, provides shelter and support services, and conducts
awareness campaigns for the general public and
government officials. Ms. Khamzaeva contributed to a
successful INL-funded project that trained 200 law
enforcement officers on human trafficking in 10 sessions
around the country in 2007, which high-ranking government
officials already acknowledged had an immediate impact on

TASHKENT 00000270 014 OF 014


field-level law enforcement effectiveness in the struggle
against
trafficking. She traveled to the United States last year as
part of an International Visitors Program which focused on
anti-trafficking, and she has applied her experience abroad
to develop new strategies and proposals which will diversify
the NGO,s activities. Ms. Khamzaeva is highly dedicated to
her work and is a valuable resource in a country that has
only recently begun to grasp the seriousness of the human
trafficking problem.


B. Post is also pleased to nominate Ms. Muratova Makokhat, a
lawyer working at the local anti-trafficking NGO Istiqbolli
Avlod. For five years she has represented the interests of
repatriated victims testifying in Uzbek courts, which can be
an intimidating experience. Ms. Makokhat also regularly
meets returning victims at the Tashkent Airport and at the
land border with Kazakshtan, where she facilitates their
entry and escorts them to the shelter services. She has
personally visited immigration prisons in the UAE twice,
where she has assisted in efforts to identify and interview
victims and help prepare and expedite repatriation documents
on their behalf. Ms. Makokhat has also traveled to
Kazakhstan upon the request of victims, family members to
work directly with Kazakh law enforcement officials to secure
the release and return of trafficking victims. She is also
involved in training Uzbek law enforcement officers as part
of an ongoing INL-funded program, which has already been
credited with raising awareness about the problem and
increasing sensitivity towards victims. We salute Ms.
Makokhat,s efforts and are honored to nominate her as a hero
for this year,s Trafficking in Persons Report.

--------------
Best Practices
--------------

The Uzbek NGO Istiqbolli Avlod has been at the forefront of
efforts to address the trafficking in persons problem in
Uzbekistan. The number one destination for female victims of
sexual exploitation is the United Arab Emirates (UAE); many
victims violate visa and immigration requirements and end up
incarcerated and too afraid to even acknowledge their
nationality. Officials from Istiqbolli Avlod began making
multiple trips to the UAE each year to build connections with
local authorities and directly identify Uzbek victims in
detention facilities. NGO staff reach out to victims in
their native languages (Uzbek or Russian) and provide
assurances that they will help them expeditiously return home
without serious legal consequences. This has in turn placed
more burden on the only two shelters in the country but has
resulted in more victims obtaining assistance. The NGO staff
has also worked hard to make inroads with Uzbek consular
staff in the UAE and officials at the airport in Tashkent to
help get victims home as efficiently as possible. This
innovative approach to identify and reach out to victims in
the destination country could be a useful model for
anti-trafficking organizations in other parts of the world.
NORLAND