Judges and prosecutors in Moldova strengthen adjudication skills on virtual assets cases at OSCE events

The OSCE, in partnership with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), organized two events in Chisinau on 15 and 16 September aimed at strengthening the capacity of Moldovan judges and prosecutors - both in training and practicing - for addressing challenges related to virtual assets.

Future judges and prosecutors learned about the fundamentals of virtual assets through a public lecture on 'Virtual Assets: Basic Concepts, Legal Uses, and Associated Risks'. The lecture covered typologies, key concepts, and risks linked to the criminal misuse of virtual assets, followed by an interactive discussion.

The lecture was complemented by a two-day workshop offering an introductory training on virtual assets for practicing judges and prosecutors from all around Moldova. International experts from North Macedonia, Romania and Slovenia guided participants through key definitions, international and EU legal frameworks, and the role of prosecutors and judges in handling cases involving virtual assets.

"We are seeing a growing trend of criminal use of virtual assets. This workshop provides a great opportunity for us to learn and be prepared for such cases," said one of the prosecutors participating at the workshop.

The workshop included case studies, scenario-based exercises on identifying virtual assets-related crime types and securing assets, and discussions on common challenges and good practices.

A second edition of the workshop will take place in October and offer a more advanced insight into virtual assets cases.

These events continue to further strengthen the partnership between the OSCE and NIJ, and were organized as part of the OSCE extrabudgetary project, "Innovative policy solutions to mitigate money-laundering risks of virtual assets", implemented by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. The project receives financial support from Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.