Activists report man's release from labour slavery in Baksan

In the city of Baksan, volunteers of the "Alternativa" Movement have managed to free a man from labour slavery, who had been held by a gypsy family for about four months. Labour slavery is not typical for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR); only individual cases are reported, analysts believe.

The man liberated from labour slavery is in safety, said Arina, an activist of the anti-slavery "Alternativa" Movement.

The 40-year-old Vladimir disappeared in the Ryazan Region; and his grandmother contacted the "Alternativa". She said that after some time and an unsuccessful search, her grandson called her and explained that he was working for a gypsy family in Baksan, but couldn't recall how he had got there. Vladimir ended up there without documents, money or communication means. He was given a room, and his job was loading metal. According to Vladimir, he was not physically abused, but he was afraid to leave. He also said that he had never had memory problems before. Volunteers managed to free him, the "Alternativa" Movement reported in its Telegram channel.

According to Arina, Vladimir's case is typical not only for Northern Caucasus, but for Russia as a whole. "Not all of our freed people remember everything that happened to them," she has noted.

Martin Kochesoko*, an activist, treats this case more as an exception.

"I've never heard anything about labour slavery in the KBR, because among Circassians and Balkars, and in general in the KBR's society, such actions will be condemned first and foremost by the closest people; and few will dare doing such a thing," he said, adding that this is facilitated not only by legislation, but also by the local mentality.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Andrei Kupreenko, who was put on the wanted list in Belarus in 2007, was rescued from labour slavery in Northern Caucasus 14 years later. His last KBR employer would not let him go and kept his passport.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.