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Georgia Opens Criminal Probe Into BBC Chemical-Use Allegations as Ruling Party Plans International Lawsuits

The security service launched an inquiry focused on the article’s sourcing under statutes on abuse of power plus aiding a foreign organization.

Overview

  • Georgia’s State Security Service said the investigation proceeds under Criminal Code articles 333 and 319 and seeks to establish what information underpinned the BBC interviews.
  • The ruling Georgian Dream party labeled the report false, saying it offered no corroborating evidence and relied on accounts from protest participants, including some with convictions.
  • Party officials announced plans to bring cases in international courts and said their detailed responses to BBC queries were largely omitted from the published piece.
  • The BBC article alleged that authorities may have used World War I–era chemical agents during the dispersal of 2024 anti-government protests in Tbilisi.
  • The security service stated the information shows signs of offenses harming citizens’ interests and the country’s image and pledged periodic public updates on the probe.