Georgian top lawmaker accuses UK envoy of spreading disinformation to students

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has accused the UK Ambassador to Georgia, Gareth Ward, of directly spreading false information and indoctrinating students.

In response to a question regarding the British ambassador’s meeting with students and the discussion of purported anti-democratic pressures in Georgia, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili described it as deeply concerning that a diplomatic envoy is directly disseminating disinformation—and even more troubling that this is being done through the influence of students, Caliber.Az report per Georgian media.

“Can you imagine the Georgian ambassador to the UK visiting universities and participating in a political campaign against the British government? This is a political campaign against the Georgian government, in which the British ambassador has become involved, spreading lies and disinformation,” he stressed.

Papuashvili noted that where the ambassador is personally involved in spreading anti-Georgian disinformation as part of a political campaign against the government, it is unsurprising that the BBC also disseminates misleading information.

He added that this only heightens public questions about who is behind the BBC story—whether it is the initiative of an individual journalist or a hybrid operation involving state participation against Georgia.

According to Papuashvili, the British ambassador’s personal role in spreading disinformation and promoting a false narrative about the government fuels such suspicions in society.

Amid ongoing concerns over the 2024 Tbilisi protests, the BBC released an investigative report alleging that Georgian authorities may have used chemical agents, citing expert interviews and data suggesting bromobenzylcyanide (also known in military idiom as camite) use.

In response, Georgia’s State Security Service opened a criminal case. Investigators found that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had acquired chlorobenzalmalononitrile with trichloroethylene from Israel in 2007 and 2009, allegedly using it to disperse protesters with water cannons.

Over 160 investigative actions were conducted, 93 witnesses interviewed, and up to 25 samples seized for examination.

Georgian officials have strongly denied the BBC’s allegations, describing the claims as false, misleading, and politically motivated, and emphasising their commitment to defending the country’s international reputation.

By Jeyhun Aghazada