04 February 2004, 16:59
Azerbaijan human rights defenders raise alarm at child prostitution
"Sexual exploitation of under age girls in night bars of Baku is a widely spread occurrence today. One can just visit these places to make sure of it," says the head of the NGO Clear World, Mekhribana Zeynalova. According to her, there is a great demand for minors, to put it more precisely, for children, in the Azerbaijan sexual industry. Cases of selling and exporting Azerbaijan children abroad with the purpose of sexual exploitation also take place. The competent bodies do not want to take this problem seriously, holds Ms Zeynalova. She is convinced that the night bars where facts of child prostitution have been established are "in ward" of officials connected with law-enforcement agencies.
The director of the Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan, Eldar Zeynalov, has also met with cases of child prostitution.
Besides, Zalikha Takhirova, a human rights activist, told in her interview with the Echo newspaper that in addition to sexual exploitation, children are used as organ donors and cheep man power. Moreover, they are sold as slaves. "Yes, there is slavery in Azerbaijan. But only few know about it since little studies have been conducted in this field," said Ms Takhirova.
Source: Echo (Azerbaijan)
