Georgia Threatens Legal Action Against BBC Over Alleged Disinformation

Georgia is preparing to file a formal complaint against the BBC, accusing the British public broadcaster of spreading false information about police tactics during anti-government protests that occurred last year.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the government will first appeal to the United Kingdom’s media regulator, with plans to pursue legal action if necessary. The dispute centers on BBC reporting about crowd-control methods used by Georgian authorities during civil unrest.

Speaking at a meeting with university students, Kobakhidze responded to comments from the British ambassador who had criticized Georgia for alleged anti-democratic pressure on opposition groups and civil society. The Prime Minister countered by suggesting the UK should issue an apology for what he characterized as false reporting by its public broadcaster.

“The BBC report created an artificial scandal and was based on fake material,” Kobakhidze told students. He defended police actions during the protests, stating that an official investigation had confirmed that all substances used in water cannons were properly documented by Georgia’s State Security Service.

Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze elaborated on Monday that the State Security Service investigation determined the substance used in water cannons during last year’s riots was standard tear gas, not a World War I era chemical weapon called “Camit” as alleged in a BBC report published on December 1. The BBC’s reporting had partly relied on symptoms reported by protesters exposed to the water and statements from former security officials.

When questioned specifically about allegations that trichloroethylene—a carcinogenic solvent—had been added to the water cannons, Kobakhidze dismissed the claim, arguing that such a dangerous substance would have resulted in far more hospitalizations. He noted that only five people were treated for mild intoxication and subsequently released from medical care.

“We will use every legal avenue against the BBC so that the broadcaster will have to apologize,” Kobakhidze stated. He also dismissed various claims circulating on social media, including a story about a parrot allegedly affected by chemicals during the protests.

The diplomatic tension has escalated further with Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili accusing the British ambassador of actively spreading misinformation and participating in a political campaign against Georgia’s government, according to local news outlet Rezonansi. Papuashvili suggested that the Georgian public was questioning who was behind the BBC report—whether it represented the work of an individual journalist or what he described as a “hybrid operation” potentially involving British state actors.

The dispute highlights growing strains in Georgia-UK relations at a sensitive time for the South Caucasus nation. Georgia has faced increasing international scrutiny over its democratic credentials, particularly after the ruling Georgian Dream party pushed through controversial legislation earlier this year requiring organizations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”—a move that sparked widespread protests and drew criticism from Western allies.

Critics of the Georgian government have expressed concern that authorities are using allegations of foreign interference and media bias to deflect legitimate scrutiny of their actions. Meanwhile, supporters of the administration argue that Western media outlets sometimes present unbalanced coverage of political developments in the country.

The case could potentially set a precedent for how disputes between foreign governments and international media organizations are resolved, especially in an era of heightened concern about disinformation and media accountability. As Georgia pursues its complaint through regulatory channels and possibly courts, the outcome may influence both diplomatic relations and press freedom discussions in the region.