Georgia threatens legal action over BBC report alleging chemical use at protests

Georgia’s prime minister has said the government will use “all available mechanisms” to defend the truth following the publication of a BBC report alleging the use of chemical agents against protesters.

Irakli Kobakhidze said the authorities had already submitted a formal complaint to the BBC earlier this month over a report that claimed Georgian security forces used chemical substances during protests in late 2024, Caliber.Az reports per Georgian media.

Kobakhidze said the government was awaiting a response from the broadcaster but would escalate the matter if it was not satisfied.

“If there is no appropriate response, we will continue the dispute with the British regulatory authority and will also be ready to pursue proceedings in international courts,” he said.

“We will use every mechanism to protect the truth on this issue.”

The prime minister rejected the allegations outright, saying the substances mentioned in the report had never been purchased or used by the Georgian authorities.

He acknowledged that certain chemical agents were procured in 2009, some of which were later banned, but stressed that the substance referred to in the BBC report — identified as “kamit” — had never been acquired or deployed, including during the tenure of the current government.

“This clearly shows that this was a deliberate falsehood,” Kobakhidze said. “It was not an accidental piece of misinformation. Unfortunately, the BBC — once a broadcaster with a high reputation — knowingly chose to spread false information.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev