Georgian Health Minister on BBC report: no evidence to support any conclusion of toxic substance use

The Georgian Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze on Saturday dismissed the claims made in the BBC investigation, stating that there was no evidence or medical basis to suggest that toxic substances were used against protesters last year.

In his remarks, Sarjveladze argued that none of the factors necessary to confirm potential poisoning exist, emphasising that medical data directly contradict the claims.

“From the very beginning, many solid arguments emerged that absolutely ruled out and invalidated the possibility that the legitimate police measures used by the state could have caused harm to people’s health”, he said.

“This is supported by the number of medical visits, the specific circumstances, and many other factors. Practically speaking, with whatever method it could have been measured or concluded that something might have been poisonous, we do not have a single such argument. Everything has been said, everything has been written”, Sarjveladze continued.

The Minister further argued that the case should be fully pursued to dispel doubts internationally.

“I believe that in this case it is necessary to follow through completely, so that anyone - for example, abroad - who may still have questions will clearly see and understand that this was an absolute, blatant lie spread by the BBC”, he concluded.

The BBC published an investigative article claiming that the Georgian authorities deployed a chemical substance dating back to World War I during protests in 2024.

The Georgian Government rejected the allegations and announced legal proceedings against the BBC in international courts.