Russia is cutting their Human Trafficking Victim Support Centers down to only 2.  That's right, just 2 centers for all of Russia.  

These drastic cuts come despite the EU's requests to ratify a recent convention on Human Trafficking in Europe.  Mostly due to their size and borders, Russia is the European epicenter for human trafficking.  Thousands of girls are trafficked out of Russia each year to work in the commercial sex industry and thousands more are trafficked through Russia to be transported to various areas of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. 

Why are they making the cuts? Russia feels that it needs to control the nonprofits in order to protect its reputation as a member of G-8 group.

Human trafficking is a major issue throughout the world that requires the commitment, support and cooperation of all countries if we are to eliminate it.

The recent news that Russia cut human trafficking programs is not only disturbing, but it shows a lack of compassion for the thousands of trafficking victims in Russia, such as Valeria, a 19-year-old Russian sex trafficking survivor. (WATCH VIDEO)

The goal of this petition is to reach leaders in the United States, Russia and the UN and let them know our anger and sadness in the program cuts, and our hope that they will do all in their power to reverse these cuts and double their efforts in the fight against Human Trafficking in Russia.

 

Groups Receiving the Petition:

Russian Federation of the United Nations

UNICEF in Russia

UNODC in Russia

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights  

United States President Barack Obama

 

INFORMATION LINKS:

Change.org story about Russia cutting human trafficking programs.​

In-depth Story by Youngbee Dale of Examiner.com​

Sky News story with video clip about the cuts.​

Story of Russian Pop Star Fighting Human Trafficking