GYLA Seeks Investigation Into Alleged Chemicals Used in Water Cannons at Protests
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association said it has initiated legal proceedings on behalf of seven citizens who claim they were harmed by substances allegedly mixed into water cannons during the dispersal of pro-EU protests in November and December 2024.
In a statement released on February 16, GYLA stated that it had contacted the Prosecutor's Office through official channels, seeking action related to the alleged use of chemical irritants.
Riot police used tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons to break up pro-EU and anti-government demonstrations in late 2024. After the protests, several participants reported ongoing health problems, including headaches, fatigue, coughing, shortness of breath, and vomiting.
On December 1, 2025, the BBC published an investigation suggesting that a World War I-era military-grade chemical agent known as camite may have been mixed into water cannons. The ruling Georgian Dream party rejected the claims and disputed the findings.
GYLA said that the mixing of chemical irritants into water cannons is not clearly regulated under Georgian law.
"The mixing of chemical irritants into water cannons in Georgia is not clearly regulated," the organization said, noting that neither the Law on Police nor Interior Ministry instructions establish rules for such a practice.
The group also referred to a 2015 ministerial order that banned the simultaneous use of water cannons, rubber bullets, and tear gas, saying the restriction was later removed "without introducing additional standards of legality."
"Water cannons saturated with chemical irritants cannot be considered a legally defined lawful means of crowd control and contradict both national and convention requirements that the use of force be a legal, necessary, and proportionate intervention," GYLA said.
The organization said it is providing legal representation to seven individuals who continue to experience health problems that they associate with an alleged substance mixed into water cannons.
GYLA stated that it requested the Prosecutor's Office to provide information on the investigation's progress, question the injured parties, determine whether mixing substances into water cannons constitutes a criminal offense, conduct all necessary investigative actions, identify those responsible, and grant victim status to the affected individuals.
The Georgian Dream party dismissed the BBC allegations. Officials acknowledged that a substance had been added to water cannons but denied that it was camite or any other prohibited chemical.
