The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) has submitted a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) concerning the systematic torture and ill-treatment of peaceful demonstrators by law enforcement representatives during the protests of November–December 2024.

As stated in information released by the non-governmental organisation, the complaint was filed on behalf of four applicants.

“On April 17, 2026, a complaint was submitted to the European Court of Human Rights relating to the systematic torture, ill-treatment, and other violations carried out by law enforcement during the pro-European demonstrations of November–December 2024. The complaint was filed on behalf of four applicants. GYLA asserts in the complaint that the actions taken against them constitute a coordinated administrative practice of discriminatory ill-treatment directed at demonstrators.

Furthermore, it is of particular significance that GYLA contends the actions of the state represent not merely a violation of individual rights but a severe abuse of power that exceeds the limits of democratic governance. This conduct, according to GYLA, is aimed at suppressing pro-European protests and falls outside the protections outlined in Article 17 of the Convention. Pursuing this argument in litigation represents a novelty in legal proceedings and may be said to mark the first time such a complaint has been brought in relation to Georgia, specifically within the context of demonstrations.

The central strategy of the complaint is for the ECHR to see and assess what took place during the dispersal of the protests in November–December 2024. Specifically, this was not merely an individual transgression or a poorly conducted dispersal operation; rather, the crackdown on the protests constituted organised violence and the starting point of the acute human rights crisis that has gripped the country since November 28, 2024. The Court is in a position to make this finding, having regard to the argumentation under Article 17 of the Convention and, beyond it, under the other contested articles,” reads the statement published on GYLA’s website.