Ensuring the safety of journalists and upholding media freedom are essential pillars of democratic societies and fundamental to safeguarding human rights. To support these goals, twenty-eight law enforcement officers and instructors from Albania participated in a Training of Trainers programme on the safety of journalists and protecting media freedom, held in Tushemisht, Albania. Organised under the joint Council of Europe and the European Union's PRO-FREX action, this two-day training aimed to equip police instructors with essential tools and knowledge to safeguard journalists’ rights, particularly in sensitive contexts such as protests and complex investigations.

The training focuses on key areas: understanding journalists’ roles in democratic societies, international and domestic legal frameworks for freedom of expression, and ethical protocols for police-journalist interactions. Through interactive sessions, participants explored real-world scenarios, reviewed landmark European Court of Human Rights case law, and assessed operational protocols within Albania’s State Police.

This comprehensive approach ensures that law enforcement officers are better prepared to protect journalists while fostering trust and collaboration between the media and police. By empowering police to act as allies to journalists, the training helps create a safer environment for media freedom and strengthens public trust in law enforcement. This collaboration builds on Albania’s commitment to media freedom as part of its EU accession process.

This activity was organised within the action on “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Albania” (PROFREX-A), implemented by the Council of Europe Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression. Тhe action is part of the joint European Union and the Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.