Around 40 representatives of relevant institutions and civil society organisations from the Western Balkans gathered in Sarajevo on 3 – 4 December 2025, together with Council of Europe experts, to share knowledge, strengthen co-operation, and harmonise approaches when it comes to providing continuous support to violent extremist offenders (VEOs) after their release from prisons. The two-day regional conference included representatives of institutions and organisations dealing with prevention and countering of radicalisation and terrorism as well as representatives of penitentiary systems from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

The participants increased their awareness and understanding of the importance of providing continued support once VEOs are released from prison. One of the key aspects discussed during the conference was the inter-institutional cooperation, which should start during the preparation for release and continue after VEO’s release to ensure effective reintegration into society. Additional aspect tackled during the conference were alternatives to imprisonment and the possibility of using community sanctions and measures for VEOs, therefore providing better chances for their reintegration into society and reducing recidivism. The conference also provided fora for sharing experiences among participants, raising knowledge on different practices related to reintegration of VEOs and raising awareness on the Council of Europe and other international standards and good practice.

Participants agreed that more is to be done in relation to the effective reintegration of VEOs into society, especially strengthening inter-institutional cooperation, raising capacities of local community institutions and involving CSOs as important partners in these efforts.

The conclusions of this conference will enable coordinators for prevention and countering radicalisation and violent extremism, other relevant institutions and professionals across the Western Balkans region, to work together to resolve common challenges and difficulties, harmonise the development and fine-tuning of strategic documents, and further improve regional co-operation and partnerships among institutions, local communities, and civil society organisations.

The conference was organised as part of the Council of Europe project “Providing for effective reintegration of violent extremist offenders in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, funded through voluntary contributions under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025, in co-operation with the regional action “Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release” which is part of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.