Local trainers in the Western Balkans prepared to conduct online courses on “Freedom of Expression” and “Protection and Safety of Journalists”

The Council of Europe standards on freedom of expression can be more effectively implemented by offering training in this field to different local actors such as judges, prosecutors, lawyers, police officers or students who could then apply these standards in their current or future work. This should contribute to the creation of a favourable environment for exercising freedom of expression and freedom of the media at the domestic level.

The online courses on “Freedom of Expression” and “Protection and Safety of Journalists” have been developed by the joint European Union and Council of Europe’s action on “Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in South-East Europe (JUFREX)” and in cooperation with the Council of Europe’s HELP Programme, with the support of top experts, including lawyers from the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights.

The Training of Trainers on Methodology for the implementation of online courses has been organised on 9 and 10 November 2021 with aim to equip future tutors – judges, prosecutors and university professors with the technical skills needed to lead tutored online courses at the local level.

As a result, JUFREX project partners will be able to deliver the tutored courses on “Freedom of Expression” and “Protection and Safety of Journalists” covering both international standards and the domestic legislative and institutional frameworks and practices in the Western Balkans. These courses will be offered by local training institutions for legal professionals (such Judicial Academies) and Universities in 2021/2022 and used as a tool to supplement traditional educational materials used in legal education. Development of capacities of key partners to implement those courses will also ensure a long-term sustainability, beyond the action’s lifetime.