UK government responds to Lord Foulkes’ question on BBC investigation

The UK Foreign Office has responded to a question from Labour peer Lord Foulkes regarding a BBC investigative report into the possible use of chemical weapons against protesters in Georgia. The British lawmaker asked what steps the UK government intended to take on the matter and submitted the question in writing to the Foreign Office. The exchange was published on the UK Parliament’s website.

“I ask the government whether it plans to impose sanctions on senior Georgian officials under The Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 following reports that the Georgian government used prohibited chemical substances to disperse protests in November and December 2024,” Lord George Foulkes wrote in his letter to the UK government.

“We call on the Georgian government to publish the results of the investigation it claims to have conducted into these allegations. We also reiterate our call for the authorities to uphold the right to freedom of assembly and to hold accountable those responsible for excessive violence against protesters,” the Foreign Office said in its response.

Lord George Foulkes is a member of the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the UK Parliament.

The Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 are a UK legislative instrument that allows the government to impose sanctions on individuals involved in the use or proliferation of chemical weapons following the UK’s exit from the European Union. UK financial sanctions also apply to its offshore territories, including the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and Bermuda. This means that the assets of sanctioned individuals are frozen not only in the UK but also in companies registered or accounts held in these offshore jurisdictions. The restrictions also cover the direct or indirect provision of financial or economic resources to sanctioned persons.

On December 1, the BBC published an investigative report alleging that chemical weapons dating back to World War I may have been used against protesters during anti-government demonstrations last year. Georgian Dream has denied the BBC’s claims, insisting that no prohibited substances were used.