OWWA Administrator Carmelita S. Dimzon has disclosed that the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad issued in January this year Legislative Decree No. 3 on combating crimes of trafficking in persons.
In a communication addressed to Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque, Administrator Dimzon said, DFA Undersecretary Rafael E. Seguis relayed information regarding the decree furnished by the Philippine Embassy in Damascus, the capital of Syria dated 19 January, 2010.
The decree seeks to “penalize those who commit human trafficking crimes, or get involved or provoke such crimes, or interfere in them, or withhold information about them or who join criminal gangs, aimed at trafficking in persons.”
Among the highlights of the decree are:
(1) Establishment of care center for the victims of trafficking crimes, which will be affiliated to the Syrian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
(2) Creation of a department that would specialize in combating human trafficking crimes under the Syrian Ministry of Interior.
Furthermore, the decree places severe penalties in cases where the crime was committed against women and children or people with special needs, involve the use or threat of use of a gun, is committed by any of the victim’s relatives or custodian, involves a number of people as in a group or is considered an international crime.
The following is an excerpt from the news report published on January 11, 2010 by SANA, the Syrian Arab News Agency:
President al-Assad Issues Legislative Decree on Combating Crimes of Trafficking in Persons
Damascus, (SANA)-President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday issued the legislative decree No. 3 on combating crimes of trafficking in persons.
The decree defines the penalties against those who commit human trafficking crimes, or get involved or provoke such crimes, or interfere in them, or withhold information about them or who join criminal gangs, aiming at trafficking in persons.
The decree aims at establishing care centers for the victims of trafficking crimes, affiliated to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
According to the decree, a department specialized in combating human trafficking crimes would be established at the Ministry of Interior.
It also aims at preventing and combating human trafficking and pays special attention to women and children who are victims of such crimes.
Penalty includes temporary detention for no less than 7 years and a fine from 1 to 3 million SP (USD 21,000 to 63,000) for those who committed trafficking crimes and those who created or called for joining any criminal gang committing trafficking crimes.
Those who withhold information about the crime for personal benefit and fail to inform the authorities concerned before or after the crime will be sentenced to imprisonment from 6 months to two years and a fine from 100 to 200 thousand SP (USD 2,173 to 4,347).
People who joined in any criminal gang involved in committing trafficking crimes will be imprisoned between one to three years and fined 100 to 200 thousand SP (USD 2,173 to 4,347).
Penalty for those who interfered to influence the testimonies of witnesses and provision of evidence of trafficking crimes includes imprisonment from one to three years and a fine from 100 to 300 thousand SP (USD 2,173 to 6,519).
Penalty may be more severe in case the crime was committed against women, children or people with special needs, involved the use or threat of use of a gun, was committed by any of the victim’s relatives or custodian, involved a number of people as in a group or was considered an international crime.
Minister of Justice Ahmad Hammoud Younes said the decree goes along with the global approaches to put an end to human trafficking crimes on the local and international level.
He added that human trafficking is a form of the increasingly mounting problem of organized crime that violates human rights and public liberties.
Ruaa Al-Jazaeri/Zahra/ H. Said /Mazen
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