Belarus

Article 32

Marriage, the family, motherhood, fatherhood, and childhood shall be under the protection of the State.

On reaching the age of consent women and men shall have the right to enter into marriage on a voluntary basis and start a family. A husband and wife shall be equal in family relationships.

Parents or persons in loco parentis shall be entitled and required to raise their children and to take care of their health, development and education. No child shall be subjected to cruel treatment or humiliation or used for work that may be harmful to its physical, mental or moral development. Children shall care for their parents or persons in loco parentis and render them assistance.

Children may be separated from their family against the consent of their parents or persons in loco parentis only according to the verdict of the court of law, if the parents or persons in loco parentis fail in their duty towards their children.

Women shall be guaranteed equal rights with men in their opportunities to receive education and vocational training, promotion in labour, socio-political, cultural and other spheres of activity, as well as in creating conditions safeguarding their labour and health.

The young people are guaranteed the right for their spiritual, moral and physical development.

The State shall create all necessary conditions for the free and effective participation of the young people in the political, social, economic and cultural development of society.

Article 41

Citizens of the Republic of Belarus shall be guaranteed the right to work as the worthiest means of an individual's self-assertion, that is, the right to choose of one's profession, type of occupation and work in accordance with one's vocation, capabilities, education and vocational training, and having regard to social needs, and the right to healthy and safe working conditions.

The State shall create conditions necessary for full employment of the population.

Where a person is unemployed for reasons which are beyond one's control, he shall be guaranteed training in new specializations and an upgrading of his qualifications having regard to social needs, and to an unemployment benefit in accordance with the law.

Citizens shall have the right to protection of their economic and social interests, including the right to form trade unions and conclude collective contracts (agreements), and the right to strike.

Forced labour shall be prohibited, other than work or service specified in the verdict of a court of law or in accordance with the law on the state of emergency or martial law.

Constitution of Belarus 1994 (Rev.2004) (PDF)

Article 181. Human Trafficking

1. The purchase or sale of a person or the performance of other transactions in relation to him, as well as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of a person (human trafficking) committed for the purpose of exploitation -

2. The same actions committed:

1) in relation to a person known to be a minor;

2) against two or more persons;

3) for the purpose of sexual exploitation;

4) for the purpose of removing from the injured organs or tissues for transplantation;

5) by a group of persons by prior agreement;

6) an official with the use of his official authority;

7) by a person who has previously committed crimes provided for in this article, Articles 171, 1711, 1811 or 187 of this Code;

8) in order to export the victim outside the state;

9) using confluence of heavy personal, family or other circumstances of the victim;

10) by deception, abuse of confidence or combined with violence, threat of its use or other forms of coercion, -

Shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of ten to twelve years with confiscation of property.

3. The actions provided for in subsections (1) or (2) of this article, which, by negligence, resulted in the death of the victim or causing him serious bodily harm, or other grave consequences or committed by an organized group,

Shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of twelve to fifteen years with confiscation of property.

Notes:

1. For the purposes of this article, articles 1811, 182 and 187 of this Code means the illegal coercion of a person to work or provide services if, for reasons beyond his control, he can not refuse to perform work (services), including slavery or customs, Similar to slavery.
2. Sexual exploitation in this article, Articles 182 and 187 of this Code is understood as the extraction of benefits from acts of a sexual nature carried out by another person, including the use of prostitution.

Article 181-1. Use of slave labor

1. The use of slave labor or another form of exploitation of a person in the absence of signs of a crime provided for in Article 181 of this Code -

Shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of two to five years.

2. The same actions committed:

1) in relation to a person known to be a minor;

2) against two or more persons;

3) by a group of persons by prior agreement;

4) an official with the use of his official authority;

5) in relation to the woman known to the perpetrator;

6) a person who has previously committed crimes provided for in this article,

Articles 171, 1711, 181 or 187 of this Code, -

Shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of three to ten years with confiscation of property or without confiscation.

3. The actions provided for in subsections (1) or (2) of this article, which, by negligence, resulted in the death of the victim or causing him serious bodily harm, or other grave consequences or committed by an organized group,

Shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of eight to twelve years with confiscation of property.

Article 3. Goals of combating human trafficking

The objectives of combating human trafficking are: to protect individuals and society from human trafficking and related crimes; prevention, detection, suppression of trafficking in persons and related offenses; protection and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking.

Article 4. Principles for Countering Trafficking in Human Beings

Combating human trafficking is based on the following principles: rule of law; the complexity of the use of legal, social, economic, and information measures aimed at combating trafficking in human beings; protection of the rights of victims of trafficking; non-discrimination of victims of trafficking, ensuring their safety and rights of the defense; the inevitability of the perpetrators of human trafficking or related crime; cooperation with the competent authorities of foreign states, international and foreign organizations and public associations.

Article 27. Responsibility for human trafficking and related crimes

1. A person who commits trafficking or related crimes, carries responsibility in accordance with legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus. 2. The behavior of victims of trafficking in human beings, expressed in the reluctance or inability to change their anti-social behavior caused by human trafficking or related her crime, does not exclude the perpetrators of human trafficking or related offenses, and also can not be regarded as a circumstance softening their responsibility.

Article 13 Prohibition of forced labor

Forced labor is prohibited. Forced labor is considered to be the work required of the employee under the threat of any violent impact, including as:

1) a means of political coercion or education or as a punishment for holding or expressing political views or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system;

2) a method of mobilizing and using labor for purposes of economic development;

3) means of labor discipline;

4) a means of punishment for participation in strikes.

It is not considered forced labor:

1) the work done as a result of an enforceable court judgment under the supervision of the public authorities responsible for law enforcement in the execution of sentences;

2) work, which is due to the implementation of the law on military service or emergency circumstances.

Article 465. Liability for failure to comply with labor legislation

Legal and physical persons guilty of violation of labor legislation, shall bear disciplinary, administrative, criminal and other responsibility in accordance with the law.