A legislative framework has been created in Belarus for the realization of the rights of victims of human trafficking to compensation for damages - expert opinion

March 24, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. A legislative framework has been created in Belarus to implement the rights of victims of human trafficking to compensation for damage caused by crime. This was announced today to journalists, answering a question from a BELTA correspondent, by the head of the international technical assistance project "Combating Human Trafficking: Republic of Belarus" of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Representation in Belarus, Natalia Zhak, during a training session in Vitebsk "Compensation for damage caused by crime to victims of human trafficking." Despite the existence of such an opportunity, no more than 25% of victims of human trafficking-related crimes in Belarus apply to court for compensation for moral and physical damage. According to Natalia Zhak, this is due to the fact that victims of human trafficking, being a very vulnerable social group, often lack information about the possibility of receiving financial compensation, and also, for psychological reasons, are not ready to go to court. The IOM Representation in Belarus initiated the holding of regional training sessions with the participation of representatives of law enforcement agencies, the prosecutor's office, courts, and social institutions, i.e., specialists who directly deal with victims of human trafficking and can help them realize their right to compensation. The main task of the training sessions is to exchange experience gained in this area by the expert group of the IOM Representation. Legal practice on this topic is summarized in the manual "Legal and Applied Aspects of Compensation for Damage Caused by Crime to Victims of Human Trafficking in Belarus," which is intended for participants of regional seminars. At the training sessions, specialists from the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and other republican departments conduct the training. According to Natalia Zhak, such training events will help improve the training of specialists working in the regions with victims of human trafficking, as well as improve the awareness of victims. "We expect that after these training sessions, the number of claims for compensation will increase by 30-40%, and the claims will be fully satisfied," noted Natalia Zhak. So far, the maximum compensation paid to a victim of human trafficking has exceeded Br5 million, she added. -0-