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Human Trafficking Bill Passes First Reading
The draft legislation on human trafficking which brings Estonian law into line with EU and US anti-trafficking laws passed its first reading in Parliament on January 11.
Justice Minister Kristen Michal said the new amendment to the penal code better protects victims, and also clarifies rights.
The new draft includes a clearer definition of slavery as distinct from enforced labor.
"Prostitution falls under the definition of slavery," said Michal. "The sale [of sex] is connected to the concept of slavery."
According to Michal, the law is being amended by the addition of three sections that cover internationally-condemned forms of human trafficking: trafficking for sexual exploitation, trafficking with the purpose of enslaving [non-sexual exploitation], and trafficking for organ removal.
The bill outlines stiffer sentences. For example, a conviction for sexual exploitation or trafficking for organ removal carries prison terms of up to seven years. Human trafficking carries jail terms of up to 15 years.
The new bill was drafted by policymakers from the foreign, interior, social affairs and justice ministries, the Estonian Women's Roundtable and the Association of Women's Crisis Centers.
Andres Kahar