Former British diplomat Ian Proud says Georgia becomes BBC’s “next target” amid western setbacks in Ukraine

Former British diplomat and global crisis management expert Ian Proud on Sunday assessed the BBC’s film alleging the use of chemical agents against protesters in Tbilisi as “yet another example of utterly unacceptable journalism that lacks any value-based foundation”.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Proud noted that similar media behaviour had been observed in coverage of the war in Ukraine.

He further added that “recent reporting in the British media often links developments in Georgia to the situation in Ukraine”.

Proud recalled that after Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections, the BBC devoted extensive airtime to the country, covering events primarily from the opposition’s perspective, despite the governing party’s clear victory.

The former diplomat further argued that the timing of the latest BBC article is noteworthy, as “the devastating war in Ukraine is slowly approaching its end”.

“I believe the BBC is thinking about who will be next to attract their attention. Georgia is a logical choice, considering the setback Western foreign policy is experiencing in Ukraine”, he concluded.

At a briefing last week, Georgia’s State Security Service stated that during the night of December 4-5, 2024, security forces used the agent chlorobenzylidene malononitrile dissolved in propylene glycol.

Officials emphasised that neither substance is classified as prohibited and added that bromobenzyl cyanide (Camite), referenced in the BBC investigation, has never been purchased by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The BBC published an article claiming that the ruling Georgian Dream party deployed a chemical agent dating back to World War I during a protest dispersal operation. In response, the Georgian Dream announced plans to pursue legal action against the broadcaster in international courts.