Araminta co-organize a three-day regional workshop and multi-stakeholder dialogue in Tirana, Albania, bringing together civil society organisations, European institutions, policymakers and human rights protection actors to explore more effective temporary relocation pathways for human rights defenders at risk.
The event, Strengthening Regional Temporary Relocation Pathways for Human Rights Defenders in EU Candidate Countries and Neighbouring EU Member States, will take place from 14 to 16 October 2026.
The programme brings together ProtectDefenders.eu, Justice & Peace Netherlands, Araminta and SCiDEV, with funding from the European Union and contributions acknowledged from the European Parliament Antenna in the Western Balkans and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Connecting regional capacities with European protection mechanisms
Human rights defenders across Europe and neighbouring regions face growing challenges in accessing timely, effective and sustainable protection.
While emergency assistance, temporary relocation, shelter programmes and rest-and-respite opportunities exist, these mechanisms are not always sufficiently connected to local organisations, regional networks and institutional partners.
EU candidate countries and neighbouring EU Member States have an important potential role in addressing these gaps.
The Tirana gathering will explore how existing regional capacities can be strengthened, how cross-border cooperation can be improved, and how regional initiatives can become more closely connected to established European protection mechanisms.
Araminta’s contribution: Mobility and protection at the European level
On 15 October, Evgeny Shtorn of Araminta will contribute to the session European and International Perspectives: Existing Responses, Gaps and Emerging Opportunities.
His intervention will focus on a proposal for an EU Directive on Mobility and Protection for Human Rights Defenders.
The proposal provides a starting point for discussing how European policy could better address the legal, institutional and practical challenges that human rights defenders encounter when seeking protection across borders.
The session will also feature perspectives from the European Parliament, ProtectDefenders.eu, Justice & Peace Netherlands, the Municipality of Deventer and Amnesty International.
From dialogue to practical cooperation
The three-day programme combines an internal workshop for implementing organisations on 14 October, a broader multi-stakeholder dialogue on 15 October and a final strategy session on 16 October.
Participants will examine existing protection capacities, identify gaps and explore opportunities for future cooperation.
For Araminta, the discussions provide an opportunity to connect European policy development with the practical realities of protecting human rights defenders.
Event information
- Dates: 14–16 October 2026
- Location: Tirana, Albania
- Main stakeholder dialogue: 15 October, 09:00–17:00
- Venue: Rogner Hotel Tirana, Antigonea Room
- Araminta representative: Evgeny Shtorn
Further reflections and outcomes will be shared following the event.
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