The ECHR (European Court of Human Rights) has communicated the complaint (the official transition of a complaint to the stage of active consideration) of five Georgian NGOs regarding the freezing of their bank accounts, which marks the beginning of the consideration of the case on its merits.
The NGO “Fair Elections” explained that this refers to a complaint filed by the Social Justice Center, the Civil Society Foundation, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), and the Sapari organization.
It is noted that the European Court has granted the lawsuit “impact case” status, meaning that the court preliminarily assesses the case as capable of having a significant impact on its case law, national legislation, as well as on a broader range of issues related to human rights and social relations.
“The start of the consideration of the case on its merits in this manner is an important signal to the Georgian authorities that any actions aimed at restricting the activities of civil society, criminalizing human rights advocacy, and persecuting independent organizations will be subjected to an international legal assessment and will not go without an appropriate response,” the statement reads.
Notably, the non-governmental organizations applied to the ECHR on October 15, 2025.