Georgia says it will take the BBC to international court after the British broadcaster published a report accusing Tbilisi of using chemical weapons against protesters during the pro-EU unrest of late 2024.
The demonstrations erupted after the Georgian government paused EU integration talks, claiming Brussels was exploiting the accession process for political pressure.
In a recent article, the BBC alleged that authorities deployed a World War I–era chemical agent mixed into water cannon tanks to disperse crowds—claims the ruling Georgian Dream party has denounced as “absurd,” “baseless,” and unsupported by evidence.
Officials say they provided extensive responses to the BBC’s inquiries but received what they described as “a cornucopia of lies” in return.
The government now intends to use “all possible legal means” to hold the broadcaster accountable for what it calls defamatory and politically motivated reporting.
Georgian Dream also pointed to recent controversies that have damaged the BBC’s reputation, including a 2024 documentary that misrepresented parts of Donald Trump’s January 6 speech, prompting resignations within the organisation. That incident has led Trump to threaten his own multibillion-dollar lawsuit against the broadcaster, which is already dealing with major financial pressures due to widespread licence-fee cancellations.
