VISAR’s 2nd Mutual Exchange and Learning Event, titled "Victims’ Rights in the criminal justice system: Recent developments in Greece and Albania" was held on Monday, 27 April 2026.
The hybrid event attended by 45 Greek, Albanian, Moldovan and Cypriot representatives from the judiciary, law enforcement authorities, public social support services and civil society organizations and legal practitioners, focused on presenting recent developments in Greece and Albania with the aim to:
• Analyze recent legislative developments and support tools for victims of domestic violence at national and EU accession level.
• Exchange experiences and best practices between Greece and Albania, enhancing victim protection and creating maximum practical benefit for the target group.
A wide range of institutions and organizations in Albania and Greece took part in the event, moderated by Professor Vasiliki Artinopoulou, project’s scientific coordinator, alongside Dr. Konstantinos Panagos, project’s junior researcher. The session also featured contributions from international partners, including Professor Trygve Ben Holland from Germany’s HfÖV and Mr. Sergio Bianchi, Director of Agenfor International in Italy.
Institutional participation included representatives from the School of Magistracy in Albania and the National School of Judicial Officers of Greece, as well as the Albanian and Hellenic Police and the Social Welfare Services. The event also brought together specialized organizations such as the Institute for Activism and Social Change in Albania, the Albanian Women’s Shelter “Edlira Haxhiymeri” and the Children’s House of Piraeus in Greece. In addition, the Municipality of Tirana and the Greek NGOs IASIS and W.I.N. Hellas played an active role, sharing their experience and best practices in supporting victims of domestic violence. (you may find the agenda of the event below).
Last but not least, central to the events’ elements were i) the presentation of projects tools i.e. the introduction of an AI platform developed to assist services that support victims of domestic violence and the presentation of the Model Cooperation Agreements among CSOs and state authorities developed within projects lifespan, as a strategic element to bridge the gap between state institutions and civil society.
