DUSHANBE, June 6, 2014, Asia-Plus – Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda held an extraordinary meeting on June 5 to discuss issues related to prevention of immoral crimes such as prostitution, trafficking in prostitutes, sexual exploitation and trafficking in human beings.

According to the Interior Ministry press center, the minister expressed concern about increase in the number of these crimes in the country and ordered to make special raids to detain people involved in prostitution, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.  Such people will be included in the Interior Ministry’s electronic database.

Rahimzoda also suggested that amendments should be made to the country’s family code to strengthen family ties and prevent divorces.

In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the chairperson of the Committee for Family and Women Affairs noted on July 26, 2013 that 1,597 women involved in prostitution (47 of them are underage girls) were reported in Tajikistan over the first six months of 2013, which was 248 women more than in the same period 2012.  According to her, these women come to Dushanbe mainly from districts subordinate to the center.  “We frequently make raids jointly with representatives of the Ministry of Interior and the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs to reveal such women,” said she.  “Besides, we raise this issue at all meetings with women we hold in districts and cities.”

Meanwhile, according to the statistical data from the Committee for Family and Women Affairs, 470 more HIV sufferers, including 182 women and 54 children under the age of 14, were registered in the country over the first six months of last year, which was 21 cases more than in the same period of 2012.