VZCZCXRO5355
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHSK RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #1168/01 2940605
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210605Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0847
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 1744
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 001168 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (HUSHEK) 
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE TEFFT AND RUTLEDGE 
INL/AAE (BUHLER) 
JUSTICE FOR DUCOT AND NEWCOMBE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM KJUS PGOV TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: INL JUSTICE SECTOR PROGRAM SUMMARY 
 
DUSHANBE 00001168  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  The U.S. Embassy Dushanbe International Narcotics 
and Law Enforcement (INL) office justice sector program aids in 
the development of a well-functioning justice system.  The INL 
program supports: 
 
--the drafting of a modern criminal procedure code (CPC), 
adopted 10/14 by Tajikistan's lower house of Parliament, and 
training in adversarial law procedures; 
 
--better dissemination among the bar of amendments to laws, 
court decisions, and other legal technical materials; 
 
--the study of secular legal processes in the Islamic Institute; 
 
--grants to NGOs to help reform the justice sector and to 
provide legal services to poor people; 
 
--Tajikistan's fledging Ombudsman institution; 
 
--international law courses for lawyers in the Ministry of 
Justice; 
 
--support for the prosecutor's office; 
 
--exchange programs for graduate legal study.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  Modern criminal procedure code and training in adversarial 
procedures.  In March and April of 2009, the American Bar 
Association, Rule of Law Initiative (ABA-ROLI), arranged 
roundtable discussions on the draft CPC for members of the 
parliament, judges, advocates, NGOs, and professors in 
March/April 2009  The conversations at this roundtable set the 
stage for the introduction of the draft CPC in parliament not 
long after the roundtable.  The lower house of parliament 
adopted the draft CPC on October 14 and the upper house is 
reportedly slated to consider it in December.  In addition, INL 
funds support ABA-ROLI's programs to enhance protection of the 
rights of criminal defendants by developing trial advocacy 
skills through practical in-service training courses.  An 
ABA-ROLI developed trial advocacy skills course is now a part of 
the curriculum of the Tajik National University. 
 
¶3.  Dissemination of legal materials.  In July 2008, Supported 
by INL funds, ABA-ROLI started three Legal Research Support 
Centers (two in Dushanbe and one in Khojand) that make available 
critical information concerning changes in laws, court 
procedures, and decisions.  Practicing professionals and members 
of the public have accessed the computerized systems more than 
5,200 times.  Usage among practitioners is growing quickly. 
 
¶4.  Including secular law in the Islamic University.  INL-funded 
projects supported three discussion club meetings for students 
from Tajik State University and the Islamic Institute on the 
topics of Right to Life, Public Legal Literacy, and the Right to 
Education.  ABA-ROLI continues to work with the Islamic 
Institute on including secular law subjects in the Institute's 
curriculum and library. 
 
¶5.  Justice Sector Reform NGO Grants Program.  INL Dushanbe in 
2008 issued eight grants totaling $300,000 to Tajik NGOs to 
carry out programs in court monitoring, legal aid to indigents, 
legal education, legal representation of minors, and third party 
arbitration.  Monitoring reveals good success in the court 
monitoring area and useful support to nascent civil society. 
Presently INL is working with the Embassy's Development 
Assistance Working Group to develop a new 2010 Justice Sector 
Reform Grants Program.  We support seven legal clinics for poor 
persons, four located in Dushanbe and three in the Rasht Valley. 
 These clinics help poor Tajiks solve critical day-to-day 
problems by sorting out complicated administrative matters 
(e.g., disability status). 
 
¶6.  Ombudsman Institution Support.  INL will provide training 
opportunities for Ombudsman's staff in 2010.   To help 
facilitate training courses, INL will purchase furniture for use 
in an empty conference hall in the Ombudsman's office. 
 
 
 
¶7.  International Law Courses for Tajik government lawyers. 
Legal EINL and the Helsinki Institute in Warsaw have developed 
an international law training program for Tajik government 
lawyers.  Sixty lawyers will be sent to Warsaw for a week-long 
course.  There will be three sessions of 20 lawyers each 
beginning in February 2010.  There will also be a 
 
DUSHANBE 00001168  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
"train-the-trainers" component, where Helsinki Watch personnel 
will come to Tajikistan to help Tajik professors and lawyers 
prepare to teach international law courses in Tajikistan. 
 
¶8.  Support for the Prosecutor's office.  INL is overseeing 
renovation of the Prosecutor's Training Center that is used for 
skills upgrades and refresher courses.  In addition, selected 
Tajik prosecutors will attend classes at the Danish 
prosecutorial academy. 
 
¶9.  Legal Exchange and Education Program (LEEP).  Beginning in 
Fall 2010, the American Bar Association will provide a group of 
key legal professionals with the opportunity to earn a graduate 
degree in law in the United States.  This includes a critical 
and comparative examination of the U.S. and Tajik justice 
systems.  It will give LEEP participants the opportunity to form 
lasting relationships with their professional counter-parts in 
the United States. 
 
¶10.  Comment:  Coherent development of the Tajik justice sector 
requires calibrated support to governmental, educational, 
professional and civil society institutions.  The Embassy 
Dushanbe INL program uses a wide variety of USG programming to 
address these needs creatively.  End comment. 
GROSS