Peru Probes Trafficking Network That Lured Citizens to Fight for Russia in Ukraine
LIMA — Peru has launched an investigation into an alleged human trafficking network that lured citizens with false promises of employment in Russia, only for them to end up fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported, citing the public prosecutor's office and AFP.
In a statement on October 16, the prosecutor's office said individuals were recruited through deceptive job offers to work as security agents and in other roles in Russia, with promises of financial compensation, and that the investigation will focus on the alleged crimes of human trafficking and aggravated human trafficking.
Percy Salinas, a lawyer representing families of people who ended up on the front lines, told local media an estimated 600 Peruvians have been lured since last October to fight for Russia, with reported monthly salary offers of between $2,000 and $3,000; 13 Peruvians are known to have died in the war in Ukraine so far.
Relatives of some victims protested outside the Foreign Ministry in Lima on October 15, demanding their loved ones be repatriated. The ministry said it had asked the Russian embassy to clarify the situation and provide information on the location and wellbeing of Peruvians serving in the Russian military, noting that citizens must seek the ministry's permission before serving in a foreign military. Moscow's embassy in Lima acknowledged in a statement on October 15 that Peruvians had signed contracts to join the Russian armed forces.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 秘鲁首都利马主广场（资料照片）。照片：Allan Grey／Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 2.0）。Plaza de Armas, Lima, Peru (file photo). Photo: Allan Grey / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
