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First Year Anniversary of the Opening of IOM’s Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Human Trafficking.
 On the 10th of April 2008 – we celebrate the first year anniversary of the opening of IOM’s Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Human Trafficking, located in Moscow, Russian Federation. On this day IOM has organized the ceremony in Rehabilitation Center for the partners among the governmental institutions, Donor Embassies, NGOs and mass media representatives.
Openning of the Rehabilitation Center - is a new stage in the joint activities of Russian governmental authorities, international and non-governmental organizations in providing protection and professional assistance for the victims of human trafficking irrespective of their nationalities.
The ceremony was attended by Mr. Georgios Tsitsopoulos, Head of the Thematic Section Social Affairs and Civil Society, addressing the guests of the ceremony with an interesting welcome speech, and Mr. Piet Blonde, Project Officer, Institutional Reforms - of Delegation of the European Commission in Moscow.
Mr. Terry Kinney, Resident Legal Adviser, US Department of Justice has also made a welcome speech to the audience. Among the guests of the ceremony there was Ms. Marina Mukabenova, Member of Committee for Women, Family and Children of State Duma of Federal Assembly of the RF, who also welcomed the results of the first year of the Center.
IOM officials told about the progress achieved during one year activity of the Center, in particular about the assistance which has been provided so far to victims of trafficking.
The ceremony represented an opportunity to raise the awareness of state authorities on the importance of such a structure and the need of its endorsement.
The event has featured the participation of the Russian pop-singer VALERIA, IOM counter-trafficking testimonial. She addressed the audience with the brief emotional welcome speech. VALERIA and Iosif Prigozhin, her husband and producer, spoke with young girls, victims of trafficking, who are undergoing the course of rehabilitation in the Center at present.
The Center is the first and so far the only institution in the Russian Federation providing specialized medical, social and psychological assistance to victims of trafficking with a capacity to receive 20 beneficiaries at a time. As of today, approximately 200 victims of human trafficking have been assisted on its premises.
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