In the modern world, one of the crimes by which the level of state governance and legal order is assessed is human trafficking. At the international level, considering its impact on human rights and freedoms, this crime is recognized as a grave and especially grave offense. Human trafficking manifests itself in such forms as forced labor, sexual exploitation, economic exploitation, and forced services, while the object of such crimes is the personal freedom of an individual. Through humiliation, violence, oppression, exploitation, or deception, a person becomes an object of trade and illegal transactions, resulting in the violation of their rights and freedoms.
In the Republic of Tajikistan, the inviolability of the individual is guaranteed by the state, and this norm is enshrined in Article 18 of the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan:
“Everyone has the right to life. No one shall be deprived of life except pursuant to a court sentence for an especially grave crime. The state guarantees the inviolability of the individual. No one shall be subjected to torture, punishment, or inhuman treatment. Subjecting a person to compulsory medical or scientific experiments is prohibited.”
This constitutional provision plays an important role in protecting human life and health. As a member of the international community, the Republic of Tajikistan attaches primary importance to human rights and freedoms and, in accordance with constitutional norms, recognizes human rights as the highest value.
Undoubtedly, under the leadership of the Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, محترم Эмомалӣ Раҳмон, the Republic of Tajikistan is waging an uncompromising fight against human trafficking and responds to all forms of violations of human rights and freedoms both within and outside the country.
Our beloved country, as a member of the international community, gives primary importance to issues of human rights and freedoms and recognizes human rights as the highest value in accordance with constitutional principles.
According to the legislation, kidnapping, the buying and selling of persons, or conducting other illegal transactions involving a person, as well as — regardless of the victim’s consent — recruiting, transporting, harboring, transferring, or receiving a person for the purpose of exploitation or obtaining unlawful profit through coercion, abduction, deception, abuse of official position, abuse of trust, exploitation of the victim’s vulnerable condition, or bribery of a person upon whom the victim depends, are prohibited.
The system of combating human trafficking and providing assistance to victims includes the activities of state authorities, local self-government bodies of settlements and villages, state organizations, as well as non-governmental and international organizations, public associations, other civil society institutions, mass media, and citizens aimed at preventing, detecting, and suppressing crimes related to human trafficking, eliminating their social consequences, and providing assistance to victims.
This phenomenon exists not only in Tajikistan but throughout the world, and every one of us must be aware of it.
Criminals use deception, threats, and violence to lure people into traps and exploit them as slaves. Through these illegal and inhumane actions, criminals gain enormous profits.
Here, I would like to provide information on several concepts and aspects related to human trafficking. First of all, we must answer the question: what is human trafficking?
Human trafficking means the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of persons through threats, violence, deception, other forms of coercion, abuse of vulnerability, or giving or receiving money or benefits in order to obtain the consent of a person who has control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.
In other words, human trafficking is the exploitation of people for profit.
Exploitation in the context of human trafficking means the forced or fraudulent use of a person for the benefit of others. Such actions violate human rights and are considered serious crimes.
Thus, human trafficking:
— is always associated with deception, violence, or coercion;
— violates human dignity and honor;
— is contrary to the law and human values.
At this point, another question arises: what is human smuggling?
In general, it is the illegal transportation of people, meaning moving a person from one region to another or from one country to another.
Illegal transportation of people occurs when an individual or group organizes or facilitates the unlawful entry or crossing of a state border for material or other gain.
The main difference between human smuggling and human trafficking is that:
in cases of human smuggling, a person usually voluntarily agrees to cross the border illegally. In human trafficking cases, the victim may be forced, deceived, and subsequently exploited.
It should be noted that on July 26, 2014, the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan “On Combating Human Trafficking and Providing Assistance to Victims of Human Trafficking” was adopted. This law establishes the organizational and legal foundations for combating human trafficking, the system of measures for protecting, assisting, and rehabilitating victims, and regulates public relations in this sphere.
For the implementation of this Law, by Resolution No. 403 of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan dated June 24, 2025, the “National Plan for Combating Human Trafficking for 2025–2027” was approved, and today’s meeting is also being held within this framework.
In our country, under the leadership of the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, Colonel General of Militia Abdurahmon Alamshozoda, the Interdepartmental Commission on Combating Human Trafficking is actively functioning. Based on the working meeting held on February 12, 2026, in the Sughd region, a number of measures are being implemented in the city of Buston. Meetings of the territorial commission on combating human trafficking, discussions with residents and the public, preparation and distribution of informational leaflets, and other activities confirm the above-mentioned efforts.
We firmly believe that through the implementation of the country’s legislation and state programs in the field of combating human trafficking and assisting victims, the people of Tajikistan will draw the necessary conclusions and jointly fight this terrible crime, which damages the reputation and prestige of the state in the international arena.
UMEDJON SOLIZODA
Head of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan in the city of Buston
