Back Police in North Macedonia equipped to better protect journalists

Police in North Macedonia equipped to better protect journalists

Recognising the vital role of journalists as watchdogs of democracy, police forces in North Macedonia were empowered with tools and knowledge to better protect media professionals from threats, harassment, and violence—both offline and online.

In this framework, with the support of the EU and Council of Europe joint action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in North Macedonia (PRO-FREX)”, the Ministry of Interior’s Training Centre hosted a specialised training session aimed at strengthening police officers’ capacity to protect journalists and uphold freedom of expression – “Enhancing police capacity for journalist protection in North Macedonia: Focus on safety, gender-based violence, and online harassment”. This event also introduced the achievements of the Council of Europe’s wider “Journalists Matter” campaign.

Participants included senior leadership and spokespersons from the State Police, Police Training Centre, and the Computer Crime Sector. In addition, the Regional Police Departments were represented by their top management and communication officers, underscoring the vital role of operational leadership and public communication in journalist protection. This broad participation demonstrates a nationwide commitment to co-ordinated institutional responses and victim support related to crimes against journalists. Moreover, this training served as an important step toward incorporating similar sessions into regular and ongoing police training programs, ensuring continuous capacity building for officers throughout North Macedonia.

Despite the achieved progress — reflected in the country’s 36th place in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index—concerns remain, especially ahead of the 2025 local elections, when the risk of attacks and online harassment typically rises. The recent drop to 42nd place in the 2025 index by Reporters Without Borders highlights the continued need for enhanced journalist safety measures.

Discussions focused on improving police knowledge and skills in investigating and responding to threats against journalists, with special emphasis on gender-sensitive and victim-centred policing. Presentations covered important topics including the protection of freedom of expression, legal frameworks, gender-based violence, and practical exercises designed to foster respectful and confidential communication with media professionals.

During the activity, the National Focal Point for the Council of Europe “Journalists Matter” Campaign, Мr Muhamed Ismaili, Assistant Minister for the Department of Public Relations and Strategic Issues in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia, also contributed, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve journalists’ safety and presenting future awareness raising initiatives for North Macedonia.

Throughout the training, participants deepened their understanding of Council of Europe standards, including Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors, and exchanged best practices for investigating threats and ensuring timely institutional cooperation. The importance of addressing gender-specific threats – particularly against women journalists – and combating online harassment through specialised knowledge and tools was strongly emphasised.

Participants valued the practical insights gained and pledged to apply this knowledge to foster a safer, more supportive environment for journalists across North Macedonia. As part of this effort, it was proposed by the National Focal Point that spokespersons of the Regional Police Departments around the country (or designated media contact persons where a spokesperson is currently unavailable) be established as local contact points where journalists can report concerns related to their safety.

The training was organised  in the framework of the Council of Europe and EU joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and its action on “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in North Macedonia (PRO-FREX)”, implemented by the Council of Europe Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression.

 


 

 

Skopje, North Macedonia 11 June 2025
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The action ‘Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in North Macedonia’ (PRO-FREX) enables the beneficiary institutions and civil society organisations in North Macedonia to progress towards meeting their reform agendas in the field of freedom of expression and freedom of media, in line with the European standards.

The action is implemented within the joint programme of the European Union and Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye running from 2023 to 2026 and aims to contribute to an improved environment for the exercise, in particular by journalists and media actors, of their rights of freedom of expression, in a more pluralistic and safer media environment, in line with the standards as set by Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

What are the goals and objectives of the action?

  • to promote freedom of expression and freedom of the media and to improve the application of European standards in the field.
  • to enhance the protection of journalists and contribute to the creation of an enabling, safer and more pluralistic media environment.
  • to strengthen the skills and knowledge of the actors who are responsible for applying the standards on freedom of expression as part of their daily work.

Who benefits from the action?

  • independent state bodies in the field of media regulation (the Agency for Audio and Audio-visual Media Services) and access to information and protection of information (the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information and the Personal Data Protection Agency).

  • associations of journalists and media actors in North Macedonia.

  • professionals such as judges, prosecutors, police officers, lawyers, broadcasters, journalists, other media actors.
  • the people of North Macedonia.

How does the action work?

  • by providing legal advice to improve the alignment of legal and regulatory frameworks to the relevant European standards;
  • by providing research and policy support to institutions and civil society organisations in the field;
  • by raising awareness among duty bearers and rights holders of the relevant European standards;
  • by offering capacity-building for the various professional categories, anchored in the European standards and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR);
  • by facilitating regional dialogue and exchange of good practices, in synergy with the regional action.

What do we expect to achieve?

  • The legal framework will be improved and the judicial application of the European standards on freedom of expression, access to information, data protection and protection of journalists will be enhanced;
  • the Media Regulatory Authority, the Personal Data Protection Agency, the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information, and the public broadcaster implement changes in their policies and practices in line with European standards;
  • Journalists’ safety will be strengthened in terms of addressing threats and attacks, as a result of the established domestic legal mechanisms to protect freedom of expression, in line with European standards.

What is the budget of the action?

  • The total budget of the action is 680,000 EUR
  • The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

How to get more information?

 

About Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye

The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2023-2026” is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe that enables the Western Balkans’ Beneficiaries and Türkiye to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law, and democracy and to comply with the European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.


 

PROJECT CONTACTS

Ana Funa                                     Project Assistant                        +389 2 3100 336                     contact