The second training session for police officers on “Protection and safety of journalists” was organised under the joint European Union/Council of Europe action “Freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Serbia (JUFREX 2)”. Its aim was to improve the protection of journalists and other media actors and create a favourable environment for freedom of expression, by raising awareness and building capacities of police officers that are designed as contact points for the safety of journalists throughout Serbia.

Attacks against journalists and other media actors are particularly serious violations of human rights. Not only do they infringe upon the rights of the targeted person, but they may have a “chilling effect” on the exercise of journalistic freedom, thus restricting public debate, which is at the heart of pluralist democracy. The right of the general public to receive information is consequently curtailed. Police protection is of significant importance in cases of an immediate risk to the life or physical integrity of journalists and other media actors and it needs to be timely and encompass an individual risk assessment to identify specific protection needs.

The participants were the second group of police officers from different regions in Serbia to receive training. Their awareness and capacities were raised on risks to journalists and the measures to be taken to avoid and alleviate them, the practical safety problems encountered by journalists in their daily work, and the different types of threats and attacks against journalists - including through the internet and social networks. Special attention was given to the gender-related dimension of attacks against women journalists.

The training session included presentations and interaction between participants and trainers. Case studies and practical exercises related to online threats were widely discussed.

The event was organised in co-operation with the Judicial Academy and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia, within the action “Freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Serbia (JUFREX 2)”, which is a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”.