United Nations independent experts on Monday called on Russia to end long-standing trafficking and forced labor of migrant women, predominantly from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, in the Golyanovo district of Moscow.

Expressing concern over the “credible and well-documented allegations” of trafficking and forced labor, the special rapporteurs stated: “We urge Russian authorities to take immediate and decisive action. This includes launching a comprehensive investigation, cooperating with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and ensuring justice and redress for all victims.”

According to the report, systemic failures in the Russian legislative and administrative framework enabled “deeply disturbing patterns of trafficking in persons and contemporary forms of slavery.” The experts identified that the failure of investigations being conducted in an effective and timely manner, and perpetrators not being held accountable, contributed to a sense of impunity among traffickers.

The European Court of Human Rights, in a December 2024 ruling in the case of F.M. and Others v Russia, unanimously found Russia in violation of its obligation to combat and prevent human trafficking and protect victims. In this case, the five applicants were women, three were from Kazakhstan and two from Uzbekistan, who were trafficked to the Golyanovo district of Moscow between 2002 and 2016.

Information the experts received indicated that dozens of women were lured to Russia under false pretenses, promised legitimate employment, only to have their documents confiscated. The women were held in captivity and forced to perform hard work, unpaid, for up to 20 hours a day in inhumane conditions. They were subjected to extreme violence and exploitation, including beating, rapes, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, and the removal of their children.

The experts expressed concern regarding Russian authorities’ failure to orchestrate effective investigations, refusal to register cases, and closing investigations on the false assumption that the victims had given consent despite evidence of coercion and abuse. They noted, “The scale of the abuse, coupled with the authorities’ failure to act despite repeated complaints, points to a deeply entrenched system of exploitation.” Victims and civil society organizations had raised complaints for decades; however, Russia’s failure to adopt a comprehensive regulatory framework to prevent trafficking deterred victims from seeking help and hindered the work of these organizations.

The court concluded that Russia violated its obligations under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, prohibiting slavery and forced labor. Russia was also in violation of Article 14, the prohibition of discrimination, in conjunction with Article 4, as women and girls, especially foreign migrant workers, were disproportionately the victims of human trafficking. The experts emphasized: “Victims of human trafficking must not be punished for unlawful acts committed as a direct consequence of their exploitation.”