2008 Press Releases
EMBASSY LAW ENFORCEMENT SECTION SPONSORS LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER
Dushanbe, December 5, 2008. Charge d'Affaires Necia Quast today presented a plaque to Naim Amirbekov, Chairman of the National Collegium of Defense Attorneys, commemorating the dedication of the Legal Resource Center at the National Collegium. The Center was funded by the United States and implemented by the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI).
Working through ABA, the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Section of the U.S. Embassy is promoting justice sector reforms in Tajikistan by equipping three regional collegia of defense attorneys, including the National Collegium in Dushanbe, with a commercially available database of Tajikistan's laws. Defense attorneys shared their concerns about the difficulty of preparing cases for clients and defending the rights of the accused because necessary legal information was not available. They suggested the creation of resource centers with legal databases for attorneys' use.
Making current legal information more accessible to defense attorneys will increase their capability to provide quality representation to their clients, many of whom are indigent.
Mr. Amirbekov, on behalf of the members of the Republican collegia, thanked the ABA and U.S. Government for their support to Tajik defense attorneys.