Azerbaijan’s law enforcement bodies suspect that some employees of foreign embassies in Baku along with police officers working for airports and railway department are involved in trafficking of Azeri children to foreign countries, Baku’s Russian-language daily newspaper Echo reported Tuesday, citing “an informed source in the law enforcement organs.” (21 July 2004)
Investigation
The report said the country’s General Prosecutor’s Office has finished an investigation into five facts of child sales to foreigners. The investigation materials would be submitted to the court soon, the Echo report said. Furthermore, according to the source, a group suspected of trading with minors has been detected recently.The same unnamed source told Echo that Baku’s pediatric hospital named after A. Qarayeva has sold five children to foreigners.
Hospital workers under suspection
Investigators suspect three employees of the pediatric hospital. According to the source, the investigative group is also looking into the activities of the orphanage N1. “Investigators think that employees of the orphanage have sold two minors to foreigners through a third person,” the Echo report said. “Two persons are suspected. One is the person who had adopted the sold children and the other is an employee of the orphanage.” The mentioned orphanage and hospital dismissed the reports.
