Police play a vital role in protecting journalists and ensuring a safe environment for free and independent media. Strengthening the capacity of law enforcement officials to understand, prevent, and respond to threats against journalists is essential to uphold freedom of expression and democratic values. The two-day intensive training organised in Shkodër, brought together 25 instructors and senior representatives from the Security Academy, General State Police Directorate, legal and standards department, aiming at strengthening the role of the police in ensuring the safety of journalists.

Held under the joint European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” programme, through the PRO-FREX Action, the training sought to deepen law enforcement’s understanding of their legal and ethical obligations to safeguard journalists and uphold media freedom—a key pillar of Albania’s EU accession process.

This activity is part of the Council of Europe’s broader efforts to foster institutional capacities on freedom of expression, particularly through supporting domestic training institutions. Participants engaged in practical exercises, reviewed international and domestic legal standards, and discussed the application of newly adopted State Police Protocols on the Safety of Journalists, developed with support from the PRO-FREX action.

“Empowering police to protect journalists is central to democratic policing,” said Blerjana Bino, Council of Europe expert and Executive Director of SciDev, a civil society organisation. “This training not only builds individual knowledge but contributes to institutional change.”

“This is a necessary investment for the institution. The police must be partners - not threats - when it comes to journalist safety,” remarked Gentian Mullaj, Chief of Communications with Media and Focal Points for Safety of Journalists at the General State Police Directorate.

Over the two days, police trainers explored the evolving risks journalists face—particularly during protests or when reporting on sensitive topics—and examined real-life scenarios and European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case law. Other topics emphasised the State’s positive obligations under Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 and other European standards.

Participants were introduced to tools such as the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists and the Pocket Guide on Protecting Journalists and Other Media Actors developed under the Council of Europe “Journalists Matter” campaign, recently translated into Albanian. A highlight of the training was the analysis of anonymised ECtHR cases, where participants worked in groups to reflect on the responsibilities of police when freedom of expression is at stake.

The training concluded with strong engagement from participants, who shared feedback and concrete ideas which could be integrated into future police training modules.

This training was organised by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression and the action “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in Albania”  part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.