The ruling party in Georgia has announced it will file a formal complaint with the BBC’s internal regulatory body over a recent documentary covering the 2024 Tbilisi protest crackdown. Georgian Dream condemned the film for suggesting that Georgian police used the First World War-era toxin camite against anti-government demonstrators.
In a December 6th briefing, State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) Deputy Head Lasha Maghradze said CS gas was used “as necessary” during the December 4–5 clashes. This contradicts the BBC claims that camite was used during the 2024 protests.
Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said
We will file our complaint with the BBC’s internal regulatory body in the coming days.
He added that, if necessary, the party may appeal to other authorities to ensure accountability. Papuashvili emphasized that approaching the broadcaster’s internal regulator is the first procedural step, and expressed hope that the BBC will recognize the report as “fabricated and manipulative.”
Georgian authorities have repeatedly condemned the BBC, while the SSG confirmed that preliminary investigations found no evidence of camite acquisition or use.
Earlier, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze demanded an apology from the UK government, stating that the BBC is “directly funded by public channels” and asserting that legal action could follow a complaint to (power-crazed) UK media regulator the Office of Communications if necessary.
This is not the first time the BBC has faced recent allegations of misrepresentation. U.S. president Donald Trump announced plans in November to sue BBC after the British public broadcaster admitted it had edited a speech misleadingly he delivered just prior to the January 6th Capitol riot.
