Georgia’s PM demands UK apology over BBC chemical weapons report

The United Kingdom must apologise to Georgia for a BBC report alleging the use of chemical weapons against protesters in Tbilisi, Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said.

Kobakhidze stressed that Georgia plans to appeal to the British regulatory commission, and then to the courts if necessary, Caliber.Az reports via Georgian media.

“You could see that it was an absolutely artificial attempt to create a scandal, which was based on falsehood,” the PM noted.

He also emphasised that any international organisation could request information from Georgia’s State Security Service investigation, and the authorities would provide it.

The prime minister contrasted the 2024 protests with the April 9, 1989, crackdown, when chemical agents were indeed used, and hospitals were overwhelmed.

“When a chemical substance is used, it is impossible to avoid very serious consequences. Regarding hospital visits in 2024, five people sought medical help for mild intoxication and were immediately discharged,” he noted.

Amid ongoing concerns over the 2024 Tbilisi protests, the BBC published an investigative report claiming that Georgian authorities may have deployed chemical agents, citing expert interviews and data pointing to the use of bromobenzyl cyanide, also known in military terms as camite.

Georgian officials have firmly rejected the BBC’s claims, calling them false, misleading, and politically motivated, while underscoring their dedication to protecting the country’s international reputation.

By Jeyhun Aghazada