Russians Jailed For Belarusian Trafficking Ring

Russians Jailed For Belarusian Trafficking Ring - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2009

June 10, 2009
MINSK -- A Moscow court has found three Russians guilty of human trafficking, illegal incarceration, and the organization of a prostitution ring in Moscow, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports.

The Meshchansky District Court in Moscow said that from 2003 to 2005 Viktor Sheremet, Kirill Golovin, and Artem Chukardin organized a chain of brothels in central Moscow where young women from Belarus were forced to work as prostitutes.

They were also found to have run an organized criminal group that operated in Moscow and the Belarusian city of Vitebsk.

The leader of the group, Sheremet, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Golovin and Chukardin were given 11 and 10 years, respectively.

timesofmalta.com - Malta, Italy and Libya discuss immigration

Wednesday, 10th June 2009 - 12:26CET
Malta, Italy and Libya discuss immigration

The role which the EU has to assume with a view to addressing the problem of human trafficking holistically was discussed during a foreign ministers' meeting between Italy, Libya and Malta, the government said.

The meeting was held in Rome yesterday and grouped Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, Italian Minister Franco Frattini, and Libya's Minister Mussa Kussa.

The Foreign Ministry said they discussed the need to address the problem of migration at source at the countries of origi,n and Libya could provide useful assistance in this regard as it is the president of the African Union.

It was also agreed that meetings at the tripartite level should continue to take place in the future.

timesofmalta.com - Right of refugees to bring relatives to Malta

Wednesday, 10th June 2009 - 10:51CET
Right of refugees to bring relatives to Malta

Illegal immigrants do not have a right to bring their relatives to Malta, but such a right is enjoyed by those migrants who are granted refugee status, Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici said this morning.

He said when speaking in Parliament that this is in line with the 1951 Geneva Convention.

The minister was replying to a parliamentary question by Chris Cardona.

timesofmalta.com - Right of refugees to bring relatives to Malta

Wednesday, 10th June 2009 - 10:51CET
Right of refugees to bring relatives to Malta

Illegal immigrants do not have a right to bring their relatives to Malta, but such a right is enjoyed by those migrants who are granted refugee status, Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici said this morning.

He said when speaking in Parliament that this is in line with the 1951 Geneva Convention.

The minister was replying to a parliamentary question by Chris Cardona.

UN EXPERT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS TO VISIT BELARUS AND POLAND

United Nations Office at Geneva | News & Media | UN EXPERT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS TO VISIT BELARUS AND POLAND

18 May 2009

GENEVA – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, will undertake country visits to Belarus from 18 to 24 May 2009, and to Poland from 25 to 29 May 2009, at the invitation of each Government.

The Special Rapporteur will meet with Government officials, civil society members and representatives of UN agencies, and may also conduct visits outside of the capital cities.

At the end of each country visit, the Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference to share her preliminary findings with representatives of the media. Based on the information obtained during each visit, the Special Rapporteur will present a report containing her conclusions and recommendations to a forthcoming session of the Human Rights Council.

Ms. Ezeilo, a Nigerian national, assumed her functions as Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children on 1 August 2008. Ms. Ezeilo is a human rights lawyer and professor at the University of Nigeria. She has also served in various governmental capacities, including as Honourable Commissioner for Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development in Enugu State and as a Delegate to the National Political Reform Conference. She has consulted for various international organizations and is also involved in several NGOs, particularly working on women’s rights. She has published extensively on a variety of topics, including human rights, women’s rights, and Shari'a law.