The National Institute of Justice launched the HELP national course on human trafficking

The National Institute of Justice will pilot the HELP e-course "Combating Human Trafficking", launched on Thursday, November 13, 2025, in partnership with the Council of Europe. The event marked the start of the training program which was attended by 81 participants, including judges, prosecutors, judicial assistants, clerks, court and prosecutor's office staff, prosecutor consultants, state-guaranteed legal aid lawyers and INJ trainers.

The official opening included the welcome message of the Deputy Director of the INJ, Ghennadi Epure, followed by the intervention of the Director of the HELP Program of the Council of Europe, Ana-Maria Telbis, who presented the HELP training platform, the new e-courses available and the development directions of the program.

Adapted to the national legal framework, the course aims at the uniform application of European standards related to the protection of victims of human trafficking and the strengthening of institutional response mechanisms. Structured in 11 modules, the program addresses topics such as international and European legislation, victim identification and protection, impunity, criminal investigation and prosecution, sentencing, compensation and reintegration.

The training process will take place under the guidance of national HELP tutors and INJ trainers: Elena Cobzac, ex-judge, and Sergiu Russu, prosecutor. During the launch session, they detailed the practical aspects of running the course and analyzed the findings of the European Court of Human Rights in the case I. C. v. Republic of Moldova, highlighting the state's obligations regarding the identification and protection of victims, as well as the need for a proportionate judicial response.

"Combating human trafficking" is the 27th HELP e-course which, at the national level, is tutored by the National Institute of Justice. The program will be active between November 13 and December 25, and participants will receive certificates issued by the HELP Unit and INJ.