Laureates of the 2026 "Alternative Nobel" have been announced
The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) has become one of the laureates of the 2026 Right Livelihood Award. The organization, which has been honored with this award—also known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize"—provides free legal aid to citizens, monitors elections, and represents human rights cases in national and international courts.
The laureates of the 2026 "Alternative Nobel" have been announced
According to DW, the laureates were announced on September 30. Along with GYLA, Pakistani human rights activist Jalila Haider, the Rural Women’s Assembly network in South Africa, and American artificial intelligence researcher Timnit Gebru were also honored with the award.
The Right Livelihood Award has been presented in Stockholm since 1980 to individuals and organizations offering practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges.
The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association was established in 1994, shortly after the country gained independence. It is considered one of the first non-governmental human rights organizations in Georgia. Since December 22, 2025, the association has been led by Tamar Oniani.
The organization's main tasks consist of protecting human rights and freedoms and creating a healthy legal environment. GYLA provides free legal aid to citizens and represents their interests in national and international courts.
The association also monitors elections and parliamentary activities. Additionally, it monitors how the state fulfills its obligations, including those related to European integration as stipulated in Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia.
According to DW, Human Rights Watch in 2026 named GYLA one of the leading organizations in the field of legal protection in the country.
Initially, the association united young lawyers and law school students. Today, however, experienced specialists who handle complex cases in the European Court of Human Rights and UN bodies also work there. The organization has retained its well-known original name.
One of GYLA's important areas of activity is assisting individuals and legal entities dissatisfied with the actions of local authorities or decisions of national courts in appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.
The association was the main coordinator of the collective complaint against the law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" adopted by the Georgian parliament in May 2024. Prepared on behalf of nearly 140 applicants, the complaint was submitted to the European Court in October 2024. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the Venice Commission participated in the case as third parties.