An investigation by BBC Eye Investigations indicates that Georgian authorities may have used a World War One-era chemical agent to disperse anti-government protesters in 2024. Demonstrators reported symptoms lasting for weeks after being subjected to water cannon. Georgian authorities have dismissed the findings as "absurd," stating police actions were legal.
Protester Accounts and Medical Findings
Protesters described a burning sensation from water cannon spray that was difficult to wash off. Other reported symptoms included shortness of breath, coughing, and vomiting over several weeks. Gela Khasaia, a protester, described skin burning.
Dr. Konstantine Chakhunashvili, a paediatrician and protester, experienced similar effects and subsequently conducted a study. He surveyed nearly 350 individuals exposed to crowd control measures during protests that began on November 28, 2024, in Tbilisi. The protests occurred after the ruling party announced a pause in European Union accession talks, a goal enshrined in Georgia's constitution.
- Nearly half of the surveyed individuals reported one or more side-effects lasting over 30 days, including headaches, fatigue, coughs, shortness of breath, and vomiting.
- Sixty-nine of those surveyed underwent medical examination by Dr. Chakhunashvili, revealing "significantly higher prevalence of abnormalities" in heart electrical signals.
- Dr. Chakhunashvili's study has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication by Toxicology Reports, an international journal.
Local journalists, doctors, and civil rights organizations had previously called on the government to identify any chemicals used, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs declined.
Whistleblower Testimony and Chemical Identification
Whistleblowers from Georgia's Special Tasks Department, the riot police, provided information regarding the chemical's identity.
- Lasha Shergelashvili, a former head of weaponry for the department, stated he tested a compound for water cannon use in 2009. He reported difficulty breathing and persistent effects that did not easily wash off, recommending against its use.
- Mr. Shergelashvili claimed the compound was loaded into water cannon vehicles despite his recommendation and remained in use until his departure in 2022. He suspects its use in the 2024 protests, a suspicion supported by current colleagues and another former high-level police officer.
- He described the agent as "probably 10 times" stronger than conventional riot-control agents, noting its persistence, capable of rendering an area uninhabitable for "two to three days."
The BBC obtained a December 2019 inventory from the Special Tasks Department, listing "Chemical liquid UN1710" and "Chemical powder UN3439" with mixing instructions. A former high-ranking police officer confirmed the inventory's authenticity and identified these as likely chemicals for water cannons.
- UN1710 was identified as trichloroethylene (TCE), a solvent.
- UN3439, an umbrella code for hazardous industrial chemicals, was linked to bromobenzyl cyanide, also known as camite, as the only known riot-control agent under this classification.
Expert Assessment
Professor Christopher Holstege, a toxicology and chemical weapons expert, assessed the gathered evidence.
- Based on Dr. Chakhunashvili's study, victim testimonies, the police inventory, and Mr. Shergelashvili's account, Prof. Holstege concluded that the clinical findings are "consistent with bromobenzyl cyanide."
- He differentiated these effects from conventional crowd control agents like CS gas, noting the "persistence of the clinical effects… is not consistent with the typical agents used for crowd dispersal."
- Prof. Holstege noted camite's persistent and irritating nature, stating he had "never seen camite being utilised in modern society" and described its potential reintroduction as "exceedingly dangerous."
Historical Context and Legal Implications
Camite was developed by France for use against Germany during World War One. Documentation of its subsequent use is limited, and it is believed to have been withdrawn from circulation in the 1930s due to concerns about its long-lasting effects, replaced by CS gas. It saw brief use by American police post-WW1 before being abandoned for safer alternatives.
Under international law, police forces may use chemicals for crowd control if they are proportionate and have only short-term effects. Weapons experts consulted by the BBC suggested that using an obsolete and more potent agent, given the availability of safer alternatives, could classify it as a chemical weapon.
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Edwards, who previously contacted Georgia's government regarding allegations of police violence, commented on the findings, stating that "Populations should never be subjected to experiments."