08.07.2022

On June 29-30, 2022, a meeting of the Working Group on Human Trafficking, comprising representatives of the member states of the UN Convention on Combating Organized Crime, was held in Vienna, Austria. Representatives of the Main Department on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings at the Ministry of Internal Affairs participated online, while Shahin Shahyarov, the representative of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Vienna, attended in person.

The main topic of discussion was the preparation of the guideline titled "Ensuring a Fair Trial for Victims of Human Trafficking Who Committed Offenses Under Coercion During Their Trafficking." The Secretariat of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime presented this guideline, which consists of 12 recommendations, for discussion.

The recommendations emphasized the involvement of doctors, psychologists, and other specialists in the investigation, ensuring that these professionals provide opinions on the health and psychological condition of the human trafficking victim. Additionally, the recommendations included provisions for criminal prosecution to be conducted by investigators and prosecutors specialized in this field.

The two-day event concluded on June 30.