Strasbourg, 22.01.2010 – As part of a parliamentary debate on action against trafficking in human beings and the need to promote the Council of Europe convention on trafficking, the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will hold an exchange of views open to the press, in the presence of Nikolay Mikhaylovich Rantsev, the father of a victim of trafficking on Tuesday 26 January at 2 pm (Room 7). The meeting will be followed by a press conferenceat 4 pm (Room 1).
Mr Rantsev took his case to the European Court of Human Rights and on 7 January 2010, the Court found against Cyprus and Russia. The applicant’s lawyer, Ludmila Churkina, will also participate in the exchange of views and in the press conference, together with Gisela Wurm (Austria, SOC), PACE rapporteur on action against trafficking.
Looking ahead to this event, Ms Wurm said: “Trafficking in human beings is a modern form of slavery. The problem shows no signs of abating and, if anything, the current economic and financial crisis has made women even more vulnerable. More than ever, PACE urges those member states which have not yet done so to sign and/or ratify this convention.”
