In brief
Recent investigations by the BBC have unveiled the use of a chemical weapon, specifically bromobenzyl cyanide (camite), by Georgian authorities during protests against the government's decision to suspend EU accession talks. Demonstrators reported severe symptoms including burning sensations and shortness of breath after being sprayed with water cannons. Experts express concern over the implications of using such a harmful agent, questioning its legality under international laws governing crowd control. The Georgian government has rejected these allegations as absurd, claiming its law enforcement acted constitutionally. This situation continues to evolve amidst ongoing protests for government accountability.
Georgia's authorities used a World War One-era chemical weapon to quell anti-government protesters last year, evidence gathered by the BBC suggests.
You could feel [the water] burning, one of the protesters said of water cannon turned on him and others on the streets of the capital Tbilisi. A sensation, he said, which could not immediately be washed off.
Demonstrators against the Georgian government's suspension of its European Union accession bid have complained of other symptoms too - shortness of breath, coughing, and vomiting that lasted for weeks.
The BBC World Service has spoken to chemical weapons experts, whistleblowers from Georgia's riot police, and doctors, and found the evidence points to the use of an agent that the French military named camite.
The Georgian authorities said our investigation findings were absurd and the police had acted legally in response to the illegal actions of brutal criminals.
Camite was deployed by France against Germany during World War One. There is little documentation of its subsequent use, but it is believed to have been taken out of circulation at some point in the 1930s due to concerns about its long-lasting effects. CS gas - often referred to as tear gas - was used as a replacement.
Konstantine Chakhunashvili was one of those who gathered outside Georgia's parliament in Tbilisi during the first week of protests - which began on 28 November 2024. Demonstrators were incensed by the ruling party's announcement that it was pausing EU accession talks. The goal of EU membership is enshrined in Georgia's constitution.
Georgia's police responded with a variety of riot-control measures including the use of water cannon, pepper spray and CS gas.
Dr Chakhunashvili, a paediatrician who was among those sprayed, reported that his skin felt like it was burning for days, and the sensation could not be washed away. He gathered nearly 350 responses through a survey asking about symptoms experienced by those targeted by the crowd control measures; approximately half reported lingering effects for over 30 days.
Experts have described these effects as consistent with the use of bromobenzyl cyanide, raising significant legal and ethical questions regarding the use of such agent for crowd control. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture emphasized the need for investigation into these methods of policing, underscoring potential human rights law violations.
