Following a BBC report, opposition parties in Georgia are calling on credible international institutions to conduct an independent investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons against protesters.
According to the BBC investigation, the authorities reportedly deployed chemical agents against demonstrators during anti-government protests in 2024.
In a joint statement, the opposition emphasized that an international inquiry is necessary to establish the facts, identify those responsible, and prevent further use of such substances.
“The recent BBC investigation presents serious evidence that the Georgian authorities used prohibited chemical substances against peaceful anti-government protesters in 2024. If confirmed, this constitutes a grave violation of international norms, human rights obligations, and Georgia’s commitments under international conventions. In a country where all state institutions obey a single individual, an impartial domestic investigation is impossible. Certainly, an authoritarian, illegitimate government will not invite an international investigative team to ensure transparency – whereas any accountable government would act precisely in this way.
We, the democratic opposition parties of Georgia, call on credible international institutions to conduct an independent investigation to establish the facts, identify those responsible, and prevent further use of such substances.
In cooperation with democratic partners, we are already collecting and processing all relevant information to be submitted to international institutions. Our shared goal is clear: to prevent any further use of such substances before the regime changes, if the BBC’s findings are independently verified.”
The joint statement is supported by the following parties: New, Droa, Girchi – More Freedom, United National Movement, Freedom Square, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, National-Democratic Party, and Federalists.
According to BBC evidence, the Georgian authorities allegedly used chemical weapons dating back to the World War I era against anti-government protesters last year. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, has dismissed the report as absurd and has threatened legal action against the BBC.