On February 12, Regional Dialogue (RD), a Slovenian NGO funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, organized a public discussion on the role of prosecutors and defense lawyers.
The panel of experts consisted of Mark Schamel, a renowned U.S. defense attorney, Ravshan Akhmedov, the Head of Uzbekistan’s Chamber of Layers, David Hackney, a former U.S. federal prosecutor, and Shuhrat Mustafaev, Head of High Training Courses at the Prosecutor General’s Office.
In her keynote address, delivered in Russian, Ambassador Spratlen emphasized the importance of a transparent and equitable justice system, while encouraging the Government of Uzbekistan to continue supporting more adversarial court proceedings. The format of public discussion, moderated by RD Director Mjusa Sever, encouraged participation from an audience that included defense attorneys, members of the media, students, and government officials.
