U.S. Department of State 2001 Trafficking in Persons Report - Russia

Russia (Tier 3)

Russia is primarily a source country for women trafficked for prostitution to Western Europe, and to a lesser extent, the Middle East, North America, and North Asia. Trafficking also occurs within Russia.

The Government of Russia does not meet the minimum standards. It has done little to combat the problem of trafficking, primarily due to lack of resources, training and adequate legislation. The Government has made a dramatic about face in the last year and has recently acknowledged trafficking as a problem. Local and regional governments vary in their response, some regions make efforts to respond to complaints and employ creative legal means to try to prosecute traffickers, while some still are reluctant to admit the problem or to devote scarce resources to combating it. Russia has no legislation specifically criminalizing trafficking of adults; and although the penal code prohibits aspects of trafficking, prosecuting traffickers for a criminal offence with the existing code is difficult. Many officials argue that the problem is beyond their purview because the victims leave Russia voluntarily for economic reasons and because the violence and abuse of trafficking in women usually occurs outside Russia's borders, leaving little to prosecute within Russia aside from fraud. However, law enforcement officials do investigate and prosecute trafficking in children. Trafficking victims have found assistance in NGO and government-sponsored domestic violence crisis centers. Otherwise, the Government sponsors no trafficking prevention or protection programs. The Government cooperates internationally on trafficking cases and is working closely with the U.S. and other countries to develop its expertise against trafficking. Russia was one of the first signatories to the UN Convention Against Transnational Crime and its Anti-Trafficking Protocol.