AKIPRESS.COM - The OSCE Programme Office in Astana today launched the first in a series of six two-day training seminars for judges from Kazakhstan’s regional courts on good practices in countering the trafficking of human beings, OSCE said in a release on February 11.

Some 40 judges from across the country will learn from a Supreme Court Judge from Turkey and prominent national experts how to consistently apply national legislation in the areas of crime classification, collection of evidence, protection and compensation of victims, tools for law enforcement and judicial practice when dealing with trafficking cases.

The year-long training initiative is co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in co-operation with the Public Administration Academy under the President, the Supreme Court and the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan.

“The process of protecting victims of human trafficking requires early identification and a thorough knowledge of what they been through so that the courts can best protect their rights,” said Mirco Guenther, Acting Head of the Programme Office. “As this crime can be very complex in nature, it is crucial to learn from other countries and international experts how their experience has helped them combat this modern form of slavery.”

“Judicial review of the methods and practices used in human trafficking is an effective way to improve the quality of judicial decisions,” said Murat Beibitov, Director of the Institute of Justice at the Public Administration Academy. “These seminars help judges of local courts in developing the capacity to observe international standards and conventions.”

The programme is a follow-up to the 2015 training events for some 250 judges from across Kazakhstan that were familiarized with consolidated judicial practices in the anti-trafficking field with particular attention to victim assistance during the investigative and prosecutorial stages.