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Zahir Amanov

To Iran – to collective oral sex...

Human trade in Nakhichevan

Officials deny, NGO-s confirm

By Zulphugar Kheyirxabar

Socio-economic situation in Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic provides ample opportunity to flourish human trade. A few kinds of human trade exist in this region. Women trade, labour exploitation, taking away of under-age boys and girls by the religious marriage and religious education. At the same time, it should be noted that Nakhichevan is being used as a transit> destination and sourse region for the human trade.

Actually, for its location on the border, it is being “developed” by the human traders as a transit and destination region rather than a source of human trade. The victims are taken to Turkey and other countries. Besides girls are brought to Nakhichevan from various regions of Azerbaijan and former USSR republics with the alleged purpose of working. The girls, hold in Nakhichevan, are sold only to citizens from Turkey, Iran and other foreign countries. A few hotels and motels serve this purpose.

The hotel “Azer” in the city centre, the hotel-restaurant “Shorsu”, situated in 5 kilometres from Nakhichevan on the way to Sederek border (between Turkey and Azerbaijan), the hotel-motel calleo “Vilinin oteli” situated in 7 kilometers from the city are flourishing in the women trade. There are very few local girls in this motel. The girls “employed” are from various regions of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakistan and other former USSR republics. Even in some restaurants and motels persian and azeri girls from Iran are met very often. The clients of these restaurans are Iran and Turkey citizens. The Azerbaijan citizens are forbidden to enter these motels. It is impossible to aproach these motels in the nights. Only people enjoying confidence of the taxi drivers bringing clients to these restaurans, motels can get to this place. We could get to the hotel “Garga Alekberin Oteli” and “Vilinin oteli” afret several attempts. The girls were kept in a separate room. They can go out rarely. The clients are taken into that room to choose a girl. According to the taxi drivers’ statement, the owners of these places are in close contact with the police and are working jointly. That’s why nobody interferes with their work. Even close relationship some of these owners with Baku officials isn’t expected. For example, the owner of “Garga Alekperin Oteli” situated near the village Nehram is said to be protected by a high official in Baku. Garga Alekper’s (Crow Alekper) brother works at the Azerbaijan President’s protection service. As to the hotel “Azer”, it is being governed by the women – Yazgul and Taibah. These women are known to be busy with women trade since the soviet period. The chief of Nachichevan City Police Department is supposed to be their protector. Unfortunally, most of officials refuse to speak to us about this problem. That’s why the questions addressed to them remain dumb. The Home Ministry officials not only answered our questions, they refused to receive us on various aproposes. Only the chief of the department against narcotizm in Nachichevan Autonomous RepublicGassim, whom we could speak for a few, stated both the absence of human trade and registration of such facts in the region. But Gassim told us about the formation of a department against human trade at the Nachichevan Home Ministiry very soon.

Unlike the chief of the department, representatives of non-governmental and international organizators noted so-called “prosperity” of this problem.

Nachichevan Autonomous Republic, as transit region for human trade

During our investigations we met a few facts confirming its being a transit region for human trade. It became a clear as day that soper-cent of women transported to Turkey was realized through Nachichevan. We came across with the reality that not only girls from various regions of Azerbaijan, but also from many places of CIS “fallen into a net” are transported through this region.

According to the consul of Turkish Republic to Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, Nevzat Uyanik’s statement, 500 people, majority of which are youth, are given a visa a day. But most of these visitors can be related to labor migration. Victims of human trade are met very rarely at the consulate. Turkish Republic simplified the visits the region being under blockade and the people intending to visit Turkey, can get visas at the Azeri Turkish border. So, human traders and their victims landing at Nakhichevan airport take buses destinated to Istanbul and leave the country without coming to city centre. Investigations confirmed the fact that majority of those passengers knew well enough the drivers of the buses going to Turkey. They booked places on the buses before arriving in Nakhichevan not to come across with unpleasant situation.

To get more information we conducted so-called investigation on the bus traveling to Istanbul owned by “Igdir tourism”. Most of passengers on the bus were young girls accompanied by old women. The intention of their visits was clear as a day, even if they called it shopping.

Fact 1

A 29 year-old-woman, Taraneh from Balaken region of Azerbaijan was one of those victims. Last May, a woman called Sakinah, having deceived her and promised to help in getting a job of domestic worker in Istanbul. But arriving in Turkey, Sakinah took away her documents and told that the she had to take care of is dead. Then she brought Taraneh to the hotel “Beygit” in Aksaray region of Istanbul and told her that Teraneh had to earn money for a return ticket. Sakinah forced Teraneh to have intimate relations with men from Iran and African countries. First Teraneh refused to obey, but then she began to be obedient to get rid of Sakinah. Having stayed at this hotel Sakinah earned ten thousand dollars. Teraneh promised to return and went to see her children living in Baki. Sakinah gave her 3500$ .

According to Teraneh’s words, she was afraid of being exposed and that’s why didn’t apply to police. Besides she was afraid of Sakinah’s brother, who was a police officer of a high rank.

The second time Teraneh found Sakinah herself and asked to take her to Turkey, Teraneh claimed that she had to take that step as she was divorced from her husband and lived with 2 children. As her financial position was very hard she didn’t see any way out.
There were a lot of victims both from Azerbaijan and other countries in that hotel as, Teraneh noted.

Children’s labour exploitation in Nakhichevan

Another fact we observed was the exploitation of the labour by the Iranian traders. They exploited labour of under-age children and local women. Taking advantage of the local socio-economic situation, Iranian traders make the local citizens carry their luggage, paying them very little amount for it. Such people are given temporary passports by the border officials.

Fact 2

A 14-year-old girl, Aysel, born in Julfa region of Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, was working on the border with her parents. Working as carriers for Iranian traders, the family were paid 10-15 tumens (i.e.10$) a day. The photo of that girl was stiched on her parents passport, which was valid a year.

According to the rule of the border officials, the family was not allowed to work, if any member of the family was absent. That’s why Aysel’s parents have to take Aysel with themselves, not to lose their jobs. So the girl will be working as a carrier.
According to the head of International Migration Organization’s Nakhichevan department, Ram Muham Daytagar, this problem is result of economic inflation and unemployment.
IMO is planning to open a few working places to help solving of these problems. The organization is realizing a member of economic projects to prevent illegal migration in Nakhichevan. Granting micro loans to the local land owners, reestablishment of drinkable and agricultural water system are examples for their plans. The Migration department hopes to release migration by opening new working places.

The head of the department confirmed the fact of labour exploitation by Iranian traders. At the same time he stressed a great number of migrating people to turkey. He noted the fact that some years ago people were going to Turkey as season workers, but at the moment many of them left for this country as permanent residents.
IMO employee Sidigeh stated that the number of people coming from was increasing. “Sometimes 10-15 buses full of people from Iran arrive in Nakhichevan. These people visit the region as a resting zone” – she told. The places where Iranian citizens rest are the restaurants and motels noted above. They have “great” time here with women brought from various places.
But Nakhichevan police and other state organizations deny this fact.
Metanet, the chairman of the State Women Organization called “Sevil” didn’t want to share her thoughts with us, following the proverb “All truths are not be told”. She never “came across” with such fact in Nakhichevan and “heard” nothing about it saying: “You are the first speaking about human trade. This subject is new for Nakhichevan. I have never heard about women trade”.

She tried to convince absence of human trade in Nakhichevan: “Everybody knows each other here and nobody would dare to be engaged with such work. Neither women are brought, nor taken away from here. It is impossible”.
Confirming this fact the director of Nakhichevan Resourse Center Melahet Nasibova noted that human trade was flourishing in the region. Some underage children taken to Iran for religious studies weren’t brought back.
Taking advantage of local people’s religious belief, Iranian mullahs took a lot of under age children “for religious studies”, but there’s no information about their fate. Only one of those teenagers could return. But he remember nothing as a result of tortures. He’s supposed to have been seduced to work for Iranian special service. The teenager didn’t agree, was tortured and went mad.

The state organizations are aware of this fact. The State Committee on the work of Religious organizations in Nakhichevan is taking measures to prevent this problem. But, like other officials, talking to us the chairman of the Committee Idris Abbaasov, denied this fact. According to him, such problem doesn’t exist in Nakhichevan.

The investigation work was done with the initiative of ICFJ and with financial support from US State Department.