Tanzanian woman tortured, raped in Iraqi Kurdistan: report – Ekurd.net

DODOMA,— A Tanzanian woman has filed a lawsuit in her home country accusing her employer and others of trafficking her to Iraq's Kurdistan region, where she says she was subjected to rape and torture, according to a report by The Citizen, a Tanzanian news outlet.

The Tanzanian woman has claimed that instead of being taken to her intended destination, she was trafficked to the Kurdish region in Iraq where she was forced into a prostitution ring. The woman states that her passport was taken away and she was held in a room where she was only given one meal a day.

The woman's affidavit states that during her time in Iraq, she was not paid and was regularly raped by multiple individuals. The duration of her stay is not specified. Her family in Tanzania contacted her employer, Masoli, regarding her treatment but he refused bring back her home unless they paid a $4,000 compensation fee for breach of contract.

Her family then reported the case to the police, who apprehended Masoli and compelled him to return the woman to Tanzania at his own expense. The status of any other women involved in the trafficking scheme and any other individuals working with Masoli is currently unknown.

The case has been adjourned until January 25 and the defendant has requested a plea bargain, the report said.

In 2018, Ten Filipina trafficking victims were rescued from an abusive employer in Iraqi Kurdistan region. They were promised $500 per month, but were only paid $300 and were subjected to deductions for various infractions, such as smoking, taking naps, or not cleaning the toilet properly.

The women were also held in virtual debt bondage, as the small amount they were earning made it impossible for them to pay the $10,000 fee their employer demanded if they wanted to return to the Philippines before the end of their two-year contract, according to a statement by the Philippines Embassy.

According to the The Peace and Freedom Organization PFOK report, in 2018, over 50,314 domestic workers from other countries have come to the Kurdistan region in the past twelve years to work in private households. The report also highlighted the abuse that many face at the hands of their employers.

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