[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 25 (Tuesday, March 2, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         MONTENEGRO'S EFFORTS TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 2, 2004

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform my colleagues 
of the steps Montenegro has undertaken to combat trafficking in 
persons. This progress was reported to me by Montenegro's Deputy Prime 
Minister and Interior Minister, Dragan Djurovic, the republic's anti-
trafficking coordinator, Aleksandr Mostrokol, and Mirjana Vlahovic from 
the Montenegro Women's Lobby. All three were in Washington last month 
for a conference hosted by the Center for Strategic and International 
Studies.
  Montenegro is a republic of the former Yugoslavia, and the only one 
to remain in a state with Serbia. After some political changes took 
place in the late 1990s, Montenegrin authorities stood in opposition to 
Slobodan Milosevic's undemocratic rule at home and aggression towards 
Serbia's neighbors. Montenegro, however, has been plagued by official 
corruption and organized crime. Trafficking in persons, the human 
slavery of our day, has become a highly developed criminal activity in 
Montenegro, as in other places in the region.
  Last year, Montenegro received considerable attention for a case in 
which a trafficking victim--a woman from Moldova who had been raped, 
tortured and severely beaten for more than 3 years while enslaved in 
prostitution--escaped her captors, went to the authorities and provided 
testimony against several persons, including Deputy State Prosecutor 
Zoran Piperovic. What was a welcomed effort to prosecute traffickers 
even if they hold official positions, however, turned problematic as 
the victim was subjected to various forms of intimidation and her 
family in Moldova was threatened due to her cooperation in the 
investigation. When charges were suddenly dropped against Piperovic and 
three others, I issued a statement expressing outrage over this 
development. This set a dangerous precedent for going after traffickers 
with clout and connections elsewhere. Many likewise criticized the 
Montenegrin authorities for the failure to bring the case to trial.
  To its credit, the Montenegrin Government responded to the widespread 
criticism. Mr. Djurovic invited a joint team of the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe to examine 
the case and make recommendations. Flaws were found. As a result, both 
the accused Deputy State Prosecutor and the prosecutor responsible for 
dropping the charges were sacked and new prosecutors put into office. 
In addition, the Montenegrin Government adopted an anti-trafficking 
strategy and passed several new laws designed to combat trafficking as 
well as to prevent future manipulations of the legal system. Additional 
laws, including one on witness protection, are still being developed.
  In my meeting, Mr. Speaker, I welcomed the progress which has taken 
place in Montenegro in recent months. I also encouraged my guests to 
ensure that the new laws are properly implemented, and that the police, 
in particular, be made part of the effort to combat trafficking rather 
than part of the problem. Finally, I urged them to seek the reopening 
of the high profile trafficking case. In my view, it is insufficient to 
learn lessons from a crime and a subsequently botched investigation or 
prosecution; the perpetrators still need to be brought to justice.
  The meeting left me hopeful that progress is being made in 
Montenegro. I also hope, Mr. Speaker, that my colleagues will join me 
in supporting U.S. programs designed to combat trafficking in persons 
in Montenegro, in southeastern Europe, and around the globe.

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