The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has initiated the second stage of communication regarding the complaint filed by Transparency International Georgia and several other applicants, TI reports. The complaints concern the laws “On Registration of Foreign Agents” (FARA) and amendments to the “On Grants” law, adopted in April 2025.
As the organization explained, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia has been given until October 15, 2026, to submit its responses to both the complaints and the court’s questions.
“The European Court of Human Rights has initiated the communication stage regarding the joint complaint filed by Transparency International Georgia, the Economic Policy Research Center, the Rule of Law Center, Publika, ‘European Orbit of Georgia’, the ‘For Freedom’ Civil Movement, as well as Eka Gigauri, Nino Evgenidze, and Nino Lomjaria. Simultaneously, the communication stage has begun for 17 other similar complaints from organizations and individuals.
The start of the communication stage means that the court is proceeding to an in-depth examination of both the admissibility of the complaints and their merits. The Ministry of Justice of the Ivanishvili regime has been given until October 15, 2026, to respond to the complaints and the court’s questions.
The complaints concern the repressive laws adopted in April 2025 — the law ‘On Registration of Foreign Agents’ (FARA) and amendments to the ‘On Grants’ law, which have already caused serious damage to civil society and have become one of the primary tools distancing Georgia from the democratic world.
The court’s questions concern whether these laws and the repressive measures taken on their basis comply with the rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to respect for private life, freedom of expression, freedom of association, as well as the prohibition of restricting rights for political motives.
This is an important interim victory for Georgia’s civil society. An intense legal battle lies ahead, but this is an important step toward an international court assessing the anti-democratic practices of the Ivanishvili regime,” the organization’s statement reads.
