Georgia’s ruling party official hopes BBC will protect its reputation and issue public apology

Levan Machavariani, the First Deputy Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, on Friday criticised the BBC, accusing the broadcaster of staging an “absurd theater” by suggesting that Georgia poisoned its own citizens with a chemical substance used during World War I.

Machavariani responded to an official complaint with the BBC filed on Thursday by the ruling Georgian Dream party, demanding the removal of the BBC film and related materials from relevant platforms.

The lawmaker expressed hope that the BBC would apologize for spreading what he called a false claim.

“The BBC has created a theater of the absurd, as if we poisoned our fellow citizens with a chemical substance used during World War I. Of course, this is an ordinary lie. We promised the public that we would respond to all of this. We sincerely hope that the BBC will, so to speak, protect its reputation, end the matter at the earliest stage, and issue a public apology”, Machavariani said.