The UNODC Terrorism Prevention Branch (UNODC/TPB) organized two national workshops on the investigation and adjudication of cases involving foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) in South Eastern Europe. The first workshop was held from 17 to 18 May 2017 in Pristina, Kosovo (under Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)), and the second one was held from 1 to 2 June 2017 in Durres, Albania. The workshops are part of a project to support the development of a specialized training module on the prosecution of FTFs for criminal justice sector practitioners from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo (under Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)), Montenegro, Serbia, and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The events were organized under UNODC/TPB's Global Project on Strengthening the Legal Regime against Terrorism and were funded by the Government of the United States of America.
The workshops in Albania and Kosovo (under Security Council resolution 1244 (1999)) brought together officials representing the Ministry of Interior, Prosecutorial Services, judges and members of the national bar association as well as international representatives and experts in the relevant field. The events aimed to provide participants with an enhanced understanding of the regional and international legal framework relating to FTFs. It enabled participants to familiarize themselves with and discuss the FTF-related international legal instruments, including those adopted by the Council of Europe.
International experts delivered presentations on topics covered in the Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Manual for Judicial Training Institutes South-East Europe and led enriched discussions on special investigative techniques in FTF cases, the collection of e-evidence, a review of the financial components of FTF-related investigations and analysis of online investigations. Both workshops concluded with a review session in which the participants applied their knowledge by discussing a case study based on a relevant investigation conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Furthermore, the workshops promoted and supported the use of rule of law-based strategies and compliance with international human rights standards to strengthen the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of terrorism-related offences. UNODC/TPB also carried out a similar workshop in Montenegro from 22 to 23 June 2017 under the same project.