The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has released its annual report for 2024, highlighting key reforms, statistics, and notable developments in the Court’s activities. While the number of pending cases remains significant, the report reflects the progress made through reforms over recent years. The total number of pending applications has decreased by 8,100 (11.8%) since the end of 2023, and 14,300 (19.2%) since the end of 2022, bringing the total number of cases pending before the Court to 60,350 as of December 31, 2024.
However, nearly three-quarters of these pending cases are concentrated in just five countries: Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and Greece, with these nations making up a substantial portion of both the total and priority applications. Notably, 80% of pending priority cases come from the same group.
The Court’s impact strategy has shown significant results, with the number of impact cases falling to 181, down from 429 in January 2023—a 57.8% decrease. Since January 2021, the Court has completed 388 impact cases. The Court also made a notable decision to stop examining applications or requests for interim measures in the Russian language starting in September 2024.
Georgia’s Role in the Annual Report
The report touches on Georgia in the context of ongoing inter-state cases before the Court, particularly those related to the conflict with Russia. On April 9, 2024, the Court delivered a judgment in the case of Georgia v. Russia (IV) (application no. 39611/18). This case is one of 14 inter-state cases currently pending, including disputes involving Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye. Notably, these inter-state cases are often accompanied by individual applications, with approximately 10,500 individual applications linked to these conflicts.
Georgia also features in the report in relation to judgments regarding domestic and gender-based violence. This category of cases remains a significant focus for the Court’s work.
Key Statistics from 2024
In 2024, the Court allocated 28,800 new applications to judicial formations, marking a decrease of 17% from 2023. This decline is attributed to fewer cases against certain countries, including Türkiye, Hungary, and Belgium. For Georgia, 151 new applications were allocated to judicial formations in 2024, slightly down from 156 in 2023 but consistent with previous years.
In terms of case distribution relative to population size, Georgia saw 0.4 new applications per 10,000 people in 2024, which is close to the European average of 0.34 applications per 10,000 people. Other countries with higher case loads relative to population size included Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
When it comes to decisions made by the Court, Georgia’s performance in 2024 was mixed. The Court issued judgments on 27 applications from Georgia, with violations found in 16 of those judgments. In comparison, 121 applications were declared inadmissible or struck out.
The Court also dealt with 1,630 requests for interim measures, a 38% decrease compared to 2023. Priority applications, which are treated with urgency, decreased by 34% by the end of 2024, with many of these cases coming from Russia due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Judgments and Violations
In total, the Court delivered 1,102 judgments in 2024, addressing 10,829 applications. Of these judgments, 1,000 (91%) found at least one violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Countries with the highest number of judgments resulting in violations included Russia (302 out of 302 judgments), Ukraine (153 out of 158), and Türkiye (67 out of 73). Romania and Italy also had significant numbers of judgments finding violations, with 49 and 51 respectively. For Georgia, the Court issued 18 judgments in 2024, of which 16 found violations of the Convention. This indicates that a large portion of the cases involving Georgia resulted in a determination of human rights violations.
The ECHR’s judgments highlight ongoing issues concerning various rights, including the right to fair trial, protection from torture, and freedom of expression, among others. In Georgia’s case, as with many other nations, these judgments represent important legal decisions that could have broad implications for domestic law and practices.
Pending Applications
By the end of 2024, Georgia had 198 pending applications, a slight increase from 185 in 2023 and 155 in 2022. This indicates a slow but steady accumulation of cases, reflecting ongoing issues requiring the Court’s attention. The majority of pending applications in 2024, however, continue to originate from just a few countries, with Türkiye leading with 21,600 cases pending.
Overall, the report highlights both the progress made by the Court in processing applications and the significant challenges it still faces, particularly in relation to countries with ongoing conflicts or political tensions.
VEBZE DADE: For more detailed statistics, the full annual report and Georgia-specific data can be accessed here and here.
By Team GT
