Prostitution in Tajikistan

Prostitution in Tajikistan is rife and illegal within the country since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In practice, arrested prostitutes are assessed a nominal fine and released, while those purchasing sex are prosecuted. The government of Tajikistan is making efforts to curb the crime since it is linked to human trafficking. Authorities in ex-Soviet Tajikistan have detained more than 500 prostitutes during raids aimed at cracking down on the underground sex industry. Police in the impoverished majority-Muslim country detained 505 women over the past three days in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, a police spokesman said on Thursday.