ECHR registers complaint over mass violations of ballot secrecy in Georgian elections
Complaint with ECHR over election violations in Georgia
According to the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)has registered their complaint regarding mass violations of ballot secrecy during the 2024 parliamentary elections in Georgia.
GYLA argues that the elections violated Article 3 of the First Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the right to free elections.
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According to the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), the complaint states that electoral authorities failed to fulfill their duties properly, grossly violating the fundamental principle of ballot secrecy, as well as the right to effective legal mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes.
In its submission, GYLA also argues that the general provision in Georgian law restricting citizens’ ability to file election-related complaints does not comply with the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) believes that their complaint could set an important legal precedent:
“This gives the Court the opportunity—under the Human Rights Convention—to examine both the systematic violation of ballot secrecy observed during the October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections and the fairness of Georgia’s electoral dispute resolution system.”
On October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia, with the ruling party “Georgian Dream” securing 54% of the vote—12% more than exit polls had predicted.
Widespread irregularities cast doubt on the legitimacy of the results, both domestically and internationally. Nearly six months after the elections, the only European leader to officially recognize the results remains Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
