The first EU/CoE HELP in the 28 course on “Fight against racism, xenophobia and homophobia / transphobia” was launched in Zagreb on 13 May 2016, in anticipation of the International Day against Homophobia on 17 May.

The course was launched for a mixed group of 30 Croatian prosecutors, judges and police academy officers in cooperation with the Judicial Academy of Croatia and the participation of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). It was moderated by Judge Iva Ivanisevic Mostovac.

The creation of this course is made under the European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals in the 28 European Union Member States (HELP in the 28). Funded by the EU, HELP in the 28 is implemented by the Council of Europe using the HELP methodology. Actually, HELP in the 28 is the largest EU Programme on human rights education for judges, prosecutors and lawyers in the EU.

The course covers in an interactive way the essence of the European system which prohibits discrimination. The objective of this course is to assist legal professionals in the daily implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as the EU non-discrimination directives.

Participants will also become familiar with the impressive body of case law from the European Court of Human Rights, the Court ofJustice of the European Union and the decisions and conclusions of the European Committee of Social Rights.

The course has two substantive modules (racism and xenophobia / homophobia and transphobia).Both modules cover aspects of hate speech and crime. The key reference material for the development of this course was the Handbook on European non-discrimination law developed jointly by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency and the European Court of Human Rights.