DUSHANBE, Aril 2, 2012, Asia-Plus — Tajik human rights activists consider that the “children’s lawyer on duty” scheme must be introduced across the whole country as the necessary measure to protect rights of child who has found himself in conflict with law.
Tojiddin Jalolov, CEO, the Center for Child’s Rights, noted this at a roundtable entitled “Observance of Human Rights in the Criminal Justice” that took place in Dushanbe on March 30.
The Center has reportedly implemented the Child Support Project that consisted of two components: 1) children’s lawyer on duty; and 2) supporting children in closed institutions.
“Lawyers on duty were providing legal aid to children being in conflict with law through giving free consultations and participating in preliminary investigation and court,” Jalolov said.
According to him, there is no yet a separate system of justice for juveniles in the country. “The current justice system is aimed at punishment rather than correction,” Jalolov stressed.
Speaking at the meeting, he also noted that adoption of the parental law has allegedly led to increase in the number of “refused” children in the country.
“It was revealed that after adoption of the law on holding parents responsible for their children’s action and education the number of children going to juvenile correctional facilities has increased,” said Jalolov. “Parents themselves take their problem children to special detention centers and repudiate them. They justify such a decision by saying that the child is problem and they do not want to pay fines. They consider that it is better to send the child to special correctional facility, and thereby, disclaim responsibility.”
