«Arguments and Facts», № 23, 2008
N. Khaikina

   FATIMA (name changed by author) - A citizen of Uzbekistan, the mother of two children, recently buried her husband. A few days later she learned that she was pregnant with her third child. When her husband was alive they earned enough, but she realized that her salary as a dishwasher would not be enough to feed the children. She decided to move from her native city to Shymkent for work.

   It was in the border village of Zhibek Zholy that she was approached by a man who suggested crossing the border through a roundabout route, bypassing a large queue through customs. Fatima listened to the stranger and they went on a journey through a series of private courtyards. Once through she was led to an employer who informed her she had been sold as property and would have to work for money. Pimps are not troubled, even if their slaves are pregnant, to force them to provide sexual services. The nightmare lasted four months. Fatima’s mother raised the alarm. When it became clear that she had disappeared in Kazakhstan, the Legal Center for Women’s Initiatives “Sana Sezim” entered the search. Program Coordinator, Shakhlo Yusupzhanova, reported that Fatima proved difficult to find:
   “We are not the first to help trafficking victims escape from captivity. The police are releasing them by storm. In this case, the police worked without us first. Fatima was brought directly to the police. She did not believe that she was released and thought she had been resold. Our psychologist Vera Zakutney had a large task before her.
   When women are released, they have reported that they work together with a lot of young women to do house “work” in a private house. The all are independent in a variety of ways, but those that provide sexual services are as one.
   “There were two girls who had lost all hope to escape to freedom,” Fatima said.
   The police told of the accounts of the conditions of sex slaves. Women are kept in small cages, separated from each other by bars. The premises are not heated. Even in the winter when the temperature at night drop to minus 20. Plenty are glad to go to clients, as it means a warm room.
   Now Fatima is home and the staff at “Sana Sezim” has helped her regain her documents and go through the border crossing point without any problems. In Uzbekistan she was met by the Uzbek center which combats trafficking.

   NESOVERSHENNOLETNY Dima (name changed by author) - A citizen of Uzbekistan, went to Shymkent on a tour. He was promised to be shown a beautiful, southern city, the zoo, and other attractions. His parent sent their son with documents on a trip with friends. However, it turned out that this is not enough to return home in time.
   They waited, but he did not return home in the evening or the next day or the next week. His mother and father appealed to the police and to organizations that combat trafficking. Uzbek and Kazakh experts quickly traced the child. He had been sold into slavery in Shymkent. He was working to build homes with several dozen men. All except for Dima was an illegal immigrant. Their owner held all of their documents.
   Staff from “Sana Sezim” went with his father to the scene. At the time of Dima’s release journalists were only present even though it was the police who had required assistance. When the discussion with the owner of Dima took place the police arrived. The father did not press charges with the Kazakh police; he preferred to do this in Uzbekistan.

   Another serious scandal involving human trafficking recently shocked Shymkent. A girl, who had come to study at one of the colleges in Shymkent, was found at a brothel. Her landlord, once the girl’s parents had left, sold the girl into sexual slavery. For two weeks her new owners had beaten her to make her work. The first brothel client notices that she was acting inappropriately. The man forced her to tell him everything. After that her parents were told about the misfortune that had happened to their daughter, the girl was released, and the pimps were prosecuted.
   A twenty year old boy with mental disabilities was sold into slavery twice in one year. The first time his parents raised their concerns with the police rather quickly. The second time he was helped by a random person. He was collecting mushrooms near a settlement in the city of Arys and drew attention by a shepherd. Picture a young man has been broadcast on television along with phones where one should make a call. Notably, in both cases, traffickers immediately drew attention to the mental state of a guy, and it seemed to them that he had a future in heavy physical work.
   The latest incident occurred only recently. There were two missing schoolgirls. Police found the two girls at a private field, where the girls were forced to work for free.

   Legal Center “Sana Sezim”, Elina Enikeevna, lawyer:
   - All victims of trafficking, particularly sexual, have been intimidated, and working with them very difficult. For example, take the case with Fatima. In addition to her, there are other women which we can get out of slavery. If only they made a declaration that they were in captivity. But I saw fear in their eyes while talking to me. Slaveholders have studied the science of intimidation and suppression of the individual. Therefore, to address such cases is very difficult. And even more to bring them to court! We had one woman who decided to go to the end. She not only wrote the statement, but gave testimony. If we are able bring the case before the court – the issue will take precedent.
   The case, which had recently occurred in South Kazakhstan - the evidence says Elina. A young woman held in slavery, was forced to provide sexual services in a cafe. She did not run away, but took refuge in her two-year daughter. When the woman managed to escape, she wrote a statement to the prosecutor's office. After the mother took the daughter and hid, fearing persecution. As it turned out, they were patrons of the cafe.