BBC allegations over protest chemical are false - Georgian PM
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused the BBC of publishing “completely false” information in its investigation alleging that Georgian authorities used a World War I–era choking agent during last year’s protests against the suspension of the EU accession process, News.Az reports, citing Georgian media.
“Unfortunately, the BBC has spread absolutely false information,” Kobakhidze told reporters. He said that while a substance may have been mixed into the water stream used by police, “the substance ‘camite’ was not used at all,” calling the claim “a simple lie.”
He said the Interior Ministry would release further details: “Facts prove this was a lie. The ministry will again explain what falsehood the BBC allowed itself to spread.”
Kobakhidze criticised the BBC for relying on interviews with two individuals — the Chakhunashvili father and son — whom he described as “active participants in radical actions.”
“The fact that the BBC relies on the conclusions of Chakhunashvili already shows the level of standards at this channel. That level is very low,” he said. “When the BBC relies on such people, it is a tragic phenomenon.”
He added that Georgian officials had shared detailed information with the BBC, but the broadcaster chose to base its report on those testimonies instead. “All of this confirms that the BBC acted like a ‘fake television channel,’” he said.
According to Kobakhidze, the substances referenced in the BBC report were purchased in 2009, but the specific agent mentioned “is not contained in the material in question.”
The BBC report claimed evidence suggested the use of a chemical choking agent during police dispersal of protests — allegations Georgian officials have strongly denied.
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