According to the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), the organization is initiating legal proceedings on behalf of citizens who were harmed by substances mixed into water cannons and is addressing the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia with the relevant communication.

As GYLA Chairperson Tamar Oniani stated at today’s briefing, until December 2025, despite repeated calls, the state had not disclosed information regarding which chemical substances were being used.

According to her, GYLA is currently representing seven victims who have informed the organization about various health problems, all of which continue to affect them to this day.

Oniani said they link these health issues to special means used against them by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in November–December 2024.

“We are initiating legal proceedings on behalf of individuals harmed by substances mixed into water cannons. The first step in this process is submitting an official complaint to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia. In this complaint, we substantiate not only the individual circumstances concerning specific persons who were harmed and the types of injuries they suffered, but also the general illegality, under Georgian law, of the practice of mixing chemical substances into water cannons, and the necessity of investigating this illegality, including within the framework of the Criminal Code.

We are requesting full information regarding the investigation, recognition of the individuals as victims, and we will then consistently pursue all subsequent steps. Seven individuals have approached us wishing to initiate legal proceedings in this case,” Tamar Oniani stated.

The GYLA Chairperson did not rule out the possibility of applying to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if an effective investigation is not conducted in Georgia.

“We will follow every step consistently. If we are unable to find justice within the country, we will also use all available international legal platforms where Georgia is accountable under various international treaties,” Tamar Oniani stated.