Georgian PM says BBC has been deliberately provided with false information directed against state interests

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday said that false information was deliberately provided to the BBC, directly targeting the country’s state interests, and could potentially be classified as a criminal act.

Kobakhidze commented on an article published by the BBC on Monday alleging that the Georgian Dream Government used a World War I-era chemical agent during recent protests.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze noted that when a specific media outlet knowingly spreads false information aimed against Georgia’s national interests, it could legally be regarded as hostile activity.

“When you facilitate the dissemination of harmful, false information to a particular organization, it can be considered a criminal offense. I am not the person to determine criminal liability - that is the responsibility of the relevant authorities - but, in general, providing false information against state interests can be treated as a crime”, the PM said.

Kobakhidze claimed that the false information provided to the TV channel concerned the alleged use of a certain substance.

“This was deliberately provided false information, directly aimed against state interests. Therefore, it could easily be classified as a crime. When a specific television channel knowingly spreads false information against Georgia’s national interests, this can also be legally assessed as hostile activity. Any sanctions imposed based on false information would have no value. The BBC relied on the Chakhunashvilis and even reached the level of specific traitorous special forces officers who spread countless lies throughout this period, and this was yet another falsehood. This makes everything clear to the public”, he concluded.

The BBC published an investigative article alleging that the water cannon used during the 2024 protests likely contained a toxic chemical agent known as Camite - bromobenzyl cyanide.

One of the pieces of evidence cited by the BBC was the research conducted by Konstantine Chakhunashvili, a physician and active participant in opposition rallies.