A group of Georgian doctors is appealing to the international community to ensure an independent and impartial investigation into the alleged use of chemical agents to crackdown on the 2024 protests, in line with the standards of international law, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international conventions on the use of chemical weapons and toxic agents.

In addition, according to the statement released by the doctors, their goal is not a political assessment, but a professional and ethical obligation to protect human life, health, and dignity.

“We are appealing to international organizations, western democratic institutions, human rights organizations, international medical associations. The large-scale protests held in Georgia in 2024 and the events related to their dispersal attracted significant international and public attention. Various international media outlets, including materials distributed by the BBC based on journalistic investigations, have expressed suspicions that citizens participating in the rallies showed signs of intoxication. Although the Georgian government does not agree with the versions expressed in such assessments. The disagreement that has arisen further increases public questions and the need for objective, independent analysis.

A scientific study conducted by doctors on this issue, published in one of the highly rated scientific journals, Toxicology Reports, is also noteworthy. The statistically reliable evidence presented in the study indicates that individuals participating in the protest rallies showed showed more cardiovascular changes compared to the control group, which creates the need for objective expertise in accordance with international standards.

In view of the above, we call on the international community to ensure an independent and impartial investigation that complies with the standards of international law, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law, chemical acts and international conventions on the use of toxic agents. Second, if necessary, to ensure a qualified legal response based on evidence-based assessments and binding norms of international law. And third, to conduct a comprehensive assessment of public health risks, prepare preventive recommendations and help affected individuals to ensure their safety.

Our goal is not a political assessment. As doctors, it is our professional and ethical obligation to protect human life, health and dignity, to ensure that any alleged mass harm is investigated in accordance with universal standards of international law,” reads the statement.