Illegal Playboy Club runs a place of ill repute on the Sunshine Isle

In a deserted area outside of Nicosia in Cyprus lies a number of nightclubs in what is popularly called Casino Alley where night clubs and casinos also operate brothels. One of them blatantly carries the name Playboy Club, with Playboy's own rabbit logo and trademark in a giant format on the outside.

By Nils Bjørnæs

"The Playboy club in Cyprus is in no way affiliated with Playboy Enterprises and has no authorization to use our name. Our in-house legal department is working continuously to find ways to stop the illegal use of our brand both here in the U.S. and other parts of the world", says David Walker, International Vice President and Editorial Director at Playboy International's headquarters in New York.

So what can you do about it?

"We had a similar case with a club in Sofia in Bulgaria, that we managed to close. When it comes to the club in Cyprus, it is likely that it is run by criminal factions, we have not yet succeeded in obtaining the necessary legal assistance to bring an end to this abuse of our brand name".
"There is at present only one official Playboy Club in the world and it is in Las Vegas", he adds.

TV documentaries

The young journalist Bela Batthyani has for almost a year been working on a TV documentary for Swiss TV about trafficking of women in Europe, which also has led him to Cyprus. We meet him at a little cafe just across the border between North- and South Cyprus in Nicosia, while he waits for his photographer.

Difficult issues to deal with?

"Yes, and sometimes not completely safe either for us or the girls. "These are pretty ruthless people".

Where do this girls come from?

"75% of the girls who work in the clubs here in North Cyprus come from Moldova, partly also from Ukraine, Belarus and Uzbekistan. They often come from poor conditions and are promised a great job and the opportunity to earn good money. Previously the girls did not know anything about the fact that they were going to work in nightclubs, they were often told that they would work in a bar or taking care of elderly. Today most of them know that the work involves stripping and topless dancing, but far from all know that it also involves prostitution".

Do they travel as regular tourists?

"In Cyprus they come on a so-called "artist visa", which gives them permission to work for six months. The contract says they will work as bartenders or topless dancers. Prostitution is in fact prohibited in these clubs, however, everybody knows that they really are brothels".

Almost like prisons

How do the girls live during their stay?

"They live in well-guarded buildings behind the clubs, with high fences and surveillance cameras the entire time they are here. The owners claim it is for the girls' own safety, but in reality these brothels are almost like prisons that makes it difficult for girls to escape".

"I met a girl in Moldova who was held in a club in Nicosia a couple of years ago. Once she managed to escape and went to a police station. She explained the situation and asked for help to travel back to her home country. The policeman took her back to the club and complained about her behavior to the owner. The same evening she had to accept the police officer as a "customer". He was friends with the owner", says Béla.

Unprotected sex

The girls in nightclubs in Cyprus are working 7 days a week, and sometimes all night. They have no days off throughout the contract period and have to serve 5 or more customers per day, more on weekends. They cannot choose which customers they want, and cannot insist on using protection. If a customer wants to have unprotected sex and pays for it, the girl must serve him. Once a week they are taken to the shopping market under the eye of a bodyguard, and once a week they will be taken to a clinic in the city where they are checked for venereal diseases.

This is the pure slavery

"Yes, and because they sleep too little and have easy access to alcohol and cocaine, many of them becomes addicts", says Béla.
"Most of the girls agree to these conditions in order to make money, and usually they only get paid when the contract period is over. So if they should manage to escape they get no money at all".

How much can they earn?

"I heard about a club where the girls earned € 2000 in 6 months, it is not more than € 330 a month. The girl I interviewed in Moldova escaped with a customer. She did not get a penny. In the so-called "better" clubs I've heard they can earn from € 5000 up to € 10 000 in 6 months.

It's certainly not much

"No, but we must not forget that many of these girls unfortunately do not have much choice. In their homeland, this small fortune".