Anastasia Melega, 24, was lured to North Cyprus after being told she was being given a “high-paying managerial job” before her passport was snatched and she was forced to work in a seedy nightclub
A mum-of-one has been found dead after being forced into prostitution in Northern Cyprus, according to human rights organisations.
Anastasia Melega, 24, who had a son aged four, was found dead in the toilet of a nightclub in Gerolakkos, also known as Alayköy. Reports indicate that she was lured to North Cyprus under false pretences of a “highly paid managerial job” but her passport was taken from her and she was forced to become a sex slave in a seedy nightclub.
Police in the unofficial republic registered her death as suicide by hanging, possibly due to shame of being forced to work as a sex slave. Now eight human rights and women’s groups have demanded a formal investigation into the circumstances of her death in nightclub Prenses, or Princess.
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They demanded checks on the nightclub and its management and whether they would be “held accountable if found to have played a role in Melega’s death”. In a joint letter, they said: “The current situation fails to address the broader issues of labour and sexual exploitation experienced by the women who are somehow bound to these establishments.”
Women like Anastasia were subject to “psychological and/or physical violence, coercion, or threats,” the letter said. The letter warned: “Human trafficking is a serious crime and requires comprehensive solidarity to deal with it. Anastasia is not the first and sadly may not be the last victim of these terrible circumstances.”
Northern Cyprus ‘transport minister’ Erhan Arıklı, leader of the coalition Rebirth Party, warned that “prostitution occurs with knowledge and for the benefit of the state”. In the light of the case, he called for “protective measures”, warning many women are brought to the occupied territories with false job promises and subsequently forced to work under duress, with their passports confiscated and ‘contracts’ signed under pressure.
Russian Telegram channel Bad News said: “Upon arrival, [Anastasia’s] passport was taken away and she was forced to engage in prostitution in a nightclub. After several weeks of violence from clients, [she] could not stand it any longer and hanged herself in the toilet.”
Before moving to Northern Cyprus, she lived in Căușeni, a small town with a population of 15,000, in Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries from which many people feel forced to move abroad to take jobs. Social media shows she wed in 2019, and gave birth to her son in 2021. Some reports say she accrued debts, which may be why she took the job in Northern Cyprus.
Among the organisations demanding action on her death are the Refugee Rights Association, Caritas Cyprus, Human Rights Platform, and Cyprus Stop Trafficking. The reported that nightclubs “often operating as brothels, employ women under the guise of ‘hostess’ or ‘barmaid’ roles”.
“Despite prostitution being illegal, enforcement is generally lax, leading to the region becoming a destination for sex tourism,” the report said. Northern Cyprus, known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, is a breakaway state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is only recognised by Turkey.
