A Serbian court has convicted a Chinese citizen of human trafficking for the first time, sentencing him to prison as authorities report a rise in reported trafficking cases involving Chinese nationals amid deepening economic ties between Belgrade and Beijing.
Court documents … show that a 52-year-old Chinese citizen was sentenced to four years in prison for trafficking two Chinese women. According to the sealed ruling, finalized in late 2025, the women were forced to provide sexual services to Chinese men under threats of death.
“The verdict is only the final step,” Zoran Pasalic, Serbia’s ombudsman and national rapporteur on human trafficking, [said]. “The key question is what conditions allowed this to happen, and whether others were involved.”
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The verdict was welcomed by ASTRA, an NGO that supports victims of human trafficking.
“The fact that both the perpetrator and the victims are foreign nationals, in this case Chinese, further confirms that the court did not allow identity or citizenship to be used as an excuse to relativize the crime,” Marija Andelkovic, the organization’s director, said.
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Although Serbian law allows prison sentences of up to 12 years for human trafficking – the penalty sought by prosecutors – the court opted for a shorter term. In its reasoning, it cited “all circumstances,” including the defendant’s family status.
Family status is exactly the kind of thing the law should be blind to. It is completely inmaterial to the crime or punishment. Should have gotten the maximum sentence.
Family should not enter the courtroom anymore than religion or race. It is just a form of bigotry to bring it in.