Mansur Ganiev has learned that to strengthen the legal system in Tajikistan, he must work for those most underserved to understand their legal rights. An alumnus of the Legal Education and Development Short-Term English Program (LEAD STEP), Ganiev returned to his home country a few months ago and wasted no time in implementing change to strengthen the criminal justice system and the rule of law.
“My life’s goal is to develop the criminal proceedings and legal mentality of our people,” he said. As a LEAD STEP [7] fellow, Ganiev studied legal English and U.S. law at the University of Delaware [8]. After returning home, he was promoted to a high-profile investigator of the Prosecutor Office of the Sugd region in northern Tajikistan.
“Participating in this program helped me to understand that the first step of developing our country is changing the mentality of our society. The laws will work when people understand their rights, benefits,” he said. “That’s why my short-term goal is to plan a program of open discussions about human rights during the criminal and civil processes among illiterate people.”
Ganiev has already started spreading his knowledge about law and justice. In addition to his role at the Prosecutor’s Office, Ganiev teaches at Khujand State University [9], sharing the knowledge he gained in the U.S. Around the office, he makes presentations on the U.S. criminal justice system, describing the benefits and processes of justice in the U.S. He is currently writing an article on the U.S. courts and criminal justice system in Tajik—legal writing in Tajikistan is frequently in Russian—so that a broader audience in his country can access it.
The effects of the program have been no less powerful for other LEAD STEP alumni. “This program gave me more confidence and self-reliance,” said Firuza Chorshanbieva. Chorshanbieva returned to the law firm where she worked before the program, at a higher level, and is applying her new understanding of the U.S. law system. “Now when I read legal documents of our foreign client issues by U.S. authorities, I easily understand the context. This is very helpful.”
Chorshanbieva and Ganiev both said their U.S. experience provided them with the tools they need to understand and strengthen legal systems. Ganiev credits class discussion in the U.S. with broadening his understanding of the law. “During the classes in UD, we had discussions with judges and participated in different court processes. The ability to negotiate the positive and negative aspects of Tajikistan’s and the U.S. courts system makes me proud.”
The Legal Education and Development Short-Term English Program [7] is a program of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs [10] (INL) of the U.S. Department of State and is implemented by IREX in partnership with ABA-ROLI.