Georgia's Security Service Opens Probe After BBC Alleges Military Chemical Used on Protesters
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) has launched an investigation into possible exceeding of official powers and potential assistance to foreign entities, following a BBC report suggesting that Georgian police may have used a toxic chemical used in the military against protesters last year.
The SSSG said the investigation aims to clarify "what information the interviews used by the BBC relied on, what claims were made by the individuals interviewed, and how relevant this information may be." In its December 1 statement, the agency added: "On the one hand, the published material contains signs of a crime which, if confirmed, is directed against the life and health of citizens and substantially violates their and the public's lawful interests. On the other hand, it contains signs of a crime that severely harms Georgia's national interests, its international image and reputation, and is directed against the interests of the state." The investigation is being conducted under Article 333, which pertains to exceeding official power, and Article 317, which covers providing assistance to a foreign country, foreign organization, or an organization controlled by a foreign state in hostile activities.
The BBC investigation found that demonstrators who opposed the government's suspension of European Union accession talks experienced immediate and lingering health effects after being sprayed with water cannons. One protester said, "You could feel [the water] burning," and described how the sensation could not be washed off. Many reported shortness of breath, coughing, and vomiting that lasted for weeks.
Dr. Konstantine Chakhunashvili, a paediatrician and participant in the protests, said his skin burned for days. "It was worse when trying to wash it off," he said. He surveyed nearly 350 fellow protesters, finding that about half suffered symptoms for more than 30 days. Medical examinations of 69 volunteers revealed "significantly higher prevalence of abnormalities" in heart electrical signals. His study has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication by Toxicology Reports.
Former staff from Georgia's Special Tasks Department, the official riot police unit, supported the BBC's findings. Lasha Shergelashvili, a former head of weaponry, said he tested a chemical for use in water cannons in 2009. He described its effects as far stronger than conventional riot-control agents and noted that even washing with water or a baking soda solution did not remove the irritation.
Despite his recommendation against its use, the chemical continued to be deployed in water cannon vehicles until at least 2022. Shergelashvili added that colleagues still in the force confirmed that the same compound was used during the 2024 protests. Another former high-ranking officer corroborated this account.
BBC researchers matched the chemicals listed in the police inventory to trichloroethylene (UN1710), a solvent, and bromobenzyl cyanide (UN3439), also known as "camite." Developed by France during World War One, camite was later replaced by CS gas due to its long-lasting effects.
Prof. Christopher Holstege, a chemical weapons expert, told the BBC, "Based on the available evidence, the clinical findings reported by both those exposed and by other witnesses are consistent with bromobenzyl cyanide." He said the symptoms were far more persistent than those caused by conventional crowd-control agents and described the chemical as "exceedingly dangerous" if deployed today.
Under international law, police may use chemical irritants only when their effects are temporary and proportionate. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Edwards, said, "Populations should never be subjected to experiments. Any effect of a riot-control measure should be temporary. The symptoms described are beyond what would be considered temporary and acceptable. All of these cases should be investigated, including under the rubric of torture or other ill-treatment."
Georgia's authorities described the BBC's findings as "deeply frivolous" and "absurd," asserting that police acted "within the bounds of the law and constitution" in response to "illegal actions of brutal criminals." The ruling Georgian Dream party denied allegations of pro-Russian bias and defended recent legislative changes as serving "the best interests of public welfare."
