The Helsinki Commission called on the US authorities and partner countries to investigate reports of the use of chemical weapons against participants in anti-government protests in Georgia. The corresponding statement was distributed on Wednesday by members of the commission: Senators Roger Wicker and Sheldon Whitehouse, as well as Congressmen Joe Wilson and Steve Cohen, reports UNN with reference to "News Georgia".
These chemical attacks have resulted in burns and long-term health problems for the victims and are a violation of human rights obligations that the Georgian authorities are bound to uphold. Such actions put "Georgian Dream" on par with the corrupt rulers of Russia and China, who fear their own people and will stop at nothing to retain power. We call on the US government and our democratic allies to investigate these reports and impose appropriate sanctions on those responsible.
The commission called "credible" BBC reports that during the dispersal of protests in Tbilisi in 2024, the authorities used not ordinary tear gas, but bromobenzyl cyanide or "kamyk" – a chemical warfare agent from the First World War, which was abandoned in the 1930s. It is assumed that kamyk was added to water cannons.
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Journalists refer to the research of pediatrician Konstantin Chakhunashvili, who studied the symptoms of about 350 protest participants. Almost half reported prolonged side effects for more than 30 days – headache, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, and others. Investigators also found the code of a large group of toxic substances (UN 3439) in the inventory list of Georgian special forces for December 2019.
The Georgian authorities categorically deny the use of chemical weapons against protesters. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the investigation a "cheap provocation, planned according to the scenario of foreign special services," designed to "ignite a fading protest." Tbilisi promises to file a complaint against the BBC with the British regulator, and if necessary, with international courts.
The State Security Service of Georgia has launched an investigation under articles on abuse of power and assistance to a foreign organization in hostile activities. First of all, the BBC interviewees – representatives of NGOs, doctors, and demonstrators – are subject to verification.
Although the investigation does not provide direct evidence, the opposition fully supports the journalists' conclusions. Former Georgian presidents Mikheil Saakashvili and Salome Zurabishvili appealed to international courts and organizations with a call for assistance.