On 10 November 2025, the OSCE Presence in Albania brought together 30 prosecutors and judicial police officers from Durrës and Elbasan for a training course on "Cybercrime, electronic evidence, human rights and data protection."
The workshop aimed to strengthen participants' capacity to investigate and prosecute cybercrime while ensuring that human rights and data protection principles are respected in every stage of the process. It specifically focused on developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide prosecutors and judicial police officers in handling digital evidence.
"These SOPs are not abstract technical papers. They are practical tools to ensure the integrity of investigations, the reliability of evidence and the protection of individual rights," said Mauro Puzzo, Head of the Presence's Rule of Law and Human Rights Department.
The course was delivered by French expert Franck Cormary, who guided participants through theoretical and practical sessions focused on the legal framework for handling electronic evidence and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for computers, servers, mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud environments and cryptocurrencies. Participants also engaged in hands-on exercises on forensic examination and a simulation on accessing cold crypto-wallets.
This training builds on the Presence's 2024 initiative, which offered a series of foundational courses on the Budapest Convention and practical aspects of handling electronic evidence to approximately 100 prosecutors and judicial police officers in Shkodra, Lezha, Korça, Saranda and Gjirokastra. Insights and experiences from that earlier series have shaped the development of this advanced workshop, designed to provide justice professionals with standardized, practical tools they can apply in their daily work.
The event is part of the OSCE Presence's continued support for Albania's justice reform and its efforts to promote the rule of law, human rights and institutional integrity in addressing cybercrime and digital challenges.
