Based on the Cooperation Agreement between of the Council of Europe and the Judicial Academy of the Republic of Serbia, within the joint project "Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia (JUFREX)", which is part of the joint program of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey II (2019-2022)", training was organized on the topic "Protection and safety of journalists".
A two-day training was held on May 17 and 18, 2022, in Arandjelovac, for judges and deputy public prosecutors from basic courts and prosecutor's offices in Kragujevac.

The key goal of the training was to contribute to increasing awareness of the position of journalists who are exposed to risk and improving the implementation of the legal framework of the Republic of Serbia, especially in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and other European standards related to freedom of expression.

The training is based on the Trainers' Manual developed within the JUFREX project and adapted to the national context of Serbia.

The lecturers at the training were:

• Aleksandra Grbović, deputy Appellate Public Prosecutor in Belgrade,
• Ksenija Dajanović, deputy Senior Public Prosecutor in Novi Sad,
• Zorana Delibasic, judge Supreme Court of Cassation.

The training covered the following topics:

• Freedom of expression - Basic principles; Understanding the risks for journalists and measures to avoid and mitigate them; Monitoring (recording) of threats/dangers to journalists;
• Encouraging a favorable environment for journalism and avoiding impunity;
• Problems faced by journalists in practice;
• Journalists at work: access to places and events;
• Journalists at work: Protection of sources and whistleblowers; Positive obligations of the state;
• Introduction to the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to the member states of the Council of Europe CM/Rec(2016)4, on the protection of journalism, the safety of journalists and other media actors;
• Implementation of the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to the member states of the Council of Europe CM/Rec(2016)4, on the protection of journalism, safety of journalists and other media actors - workshop.