Martina Vandenberg

Martina Vandenberg - On Prosecuting Human Trafficking Cases

Martina Vandenberg began working to fight human trafficking while living in the Russian Federation in the 1990s. After starting a rape crisis center in Russia, Martina documented human trafficking cases in Israel, culminating in a report that she authored and which was eventually reported on by the New York Times. After Israel, Martina became the Women’s Rights Division researcher for Europe and Central America at Human Rights Watch, during which time she authored a report on the trafficking of women and girls in Bosnia. Martina worked with members of Congress to create extraterritorial jurisdiction for U.S. government personnel who engage in human trafficking while posted abroad. Later, Martina conducted pro bono work prosecuting human trafficking cases in the United States, first at a large law firm and later at an organization that she established. Martina discusses the achievements of her organization and the issues that arise in human trafficking prosecution, including the challenges of prosecuting cases involving diplomats posted in the United States and the stories that give her the strength to continue her work.

Topics: human trafficking, women, feminism, crime, prosecution, diplomacy, human rights, Human Rights Watch, war crimes, peacekeeping, law, sex trafficking, forced labor, policy

Countries/regions: Russian Federation, Russia, Beijing, Netherlands, Amsterdam, Western Europe, Israel, Central Asia, Bosnia, Balkans, Herzegovina, United Arab Emirates, Australia, United States, Florida, Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Tanzania, Mexico, Kosovo, Serbia