Pre-service judges and prosecutors legal experts and representatives of  the School of Magistrates gathered for the kick-off of the Council of Europe’s HELP course on the Protection of Journalists.

Organised under the European Union and Council of Europe joint PRO-FREX action, in partnership with the School of Magistrates, the course aims to bolster domestic capacities of legal professionals to effectively safeguard freedom of expression and the rights of journalists in Albania. 
An interactive presentation introduced the participants to the HELP Programme, its key topics and content. Participants also discussed current challenges in ensuring the safety of journalists in both domestic and European contexts. 
Practical details on enrolment, tasks, and assessment were also presented, together with the adaptation of materials to the Albanian legal framework. Participants are now members of the Council of Europe HELP platform, marking the start of a collaborative learning journey to further strengthen journalists’ safety in Albania.
This activity was organised by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression through  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”.