Georgian NGOs have issued a joint statement regarding the BBC’s journalistic investigation, demanding a public response to the question of what chemicals were used by the police against peaceful protests.

As stated in the statement, the use of chemicals against large crowds of people clearly violates international norms and standards in the field of human rights and can be assessed as an example of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment.

The statement states that in the coming days they will appeal to relevant international organizations and institutions to enable them to send expert groups to Georgia to investigate the issue.

“The materials of a journalistic investigation prepared by the BBC, published on December 1, 2025, contain shocking reports of the use of banned chemical weapons by Ivanishvili’s police against the Georgian people.

During the events of November-December 2024, violent crimes committed by the regime’s Interior Ministry forces against peaceful protesters remain uninvestigated to this day. Not only has no one been punished for these crimes, Ivanishvili’s Prime Minister Kobakhidze has not spared words of gratitude to the authors of these crimes – the then Minister of Internal Affairs, who was sanctioned by the US and the UK for serious human rights violations, and other high-ranking officials. Moreover, Ivanishvili’s President even awarded 11 of them with the Order of Honor.

Such a cynical attitude of the Georgian Dream towards its own population is not new. Despite this, the facts and evidence presented in the BBC film are shocking. According to the investigative journalists, in November-December 2024, the regime allegedly used a chemical called bromobenzyl cyanide mixed with water cannons against peaceful demonstrators. This chemical was first used during World War I and was banned after 1930 because it is much more dangerous than tear gas and has long-term effects on human health.

In general, the use of chemical substances against large groups of people clearly violates international norms and standards in the field of human rights and can be assessed as an example of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment.

A special story was prepared by the investigative journalist team of “Nodar Meladze’s Saturday” about the serious violations committed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs relating to the use of special equipment in November-December 2024. The same problem was described in detail by the Georgian Young Lawyers Association and other partner NGOs in their report entitled “Human Rights Crisis in Georgia after the 2024 Parliamentary Elections”. For a year now, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not disclosed information about the substances contained in tear gas and water cannon, despite repeated requests.

However, after the release of the BBC film, along with the serious violation of human rights, another legal issue has come to the agenda. In particular, it is necessary to determine whether the use of the above-mentioned chemical substance bromobenzyl cyanide against protest participants constitutes an act prohibited by the international convention on “Chemical Weapons”.

In the coming days, we will appeal to relevant international organizations and institutions to send teams of experts with the appropriate competence and qualifications to Georgia to fully expose this criminal scheme.

At the same time, we demand a public answer to the question: what chemical substances were used by the police against peaceful protests in November-December 2024,” reads the joint statement of NGOs, signed by:

“Rights Georgia”, “Center for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims - GCRT”, “Georgian Young Lawyers Association”, “European Foundation”, “Civic Idea”, EECMD, “Tolerance and Diversity Institute” (TDI), “Georgian European Orbit”, “Partnership for Human Rights”, “Transparency International-Georgia”, “Economic Policy Research Center”, “Georgian Democratic Initiative” (GDI), “Sapari”, “Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group”, “ Democracy Research Institute”, “Tbilisi Pride”, “Civic Movement for Freedom”, “Human Rights Center”, “Georgian Future Academy”, “Green Alternative”, “Defenders of Democracy”, “Europe-Georgia Institute”, “International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy”, “ Social Justice Center”, “Civil Society Foundation”.

The statement comes after the BBC reported that the evidence it has collected indicates that the Georgian government used World War I-era chemical weapons to quell anti-government protests last year.

As the BBC writes, “ Demonstrators against the Georgian government's suspension of its European Union accession bid have complained of symptoms, such as shortness of breath, coughing, and vomiting that lasted for weeks.”

According to the BBC, the World Service spoke to chemical weapons experts, Georgian special forces, and doctors and found that “evidence points to the use of an agent that the French military called Camite.”

Former Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri stated that the substances named in the information disseminated by the BBC “were indeed purchased by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and used, but only until 2012.” Imedi quoted Vakhtang Gomelauri’s comment.

According to the former minister, the last purchase took place in 2009 or 2010, and since then the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not purchased or used it.