On December 1, the BBC World Service released a documentary indicating that the Georgian authorities likely used a toxic chemical compound called against protesters during the first week of the pro-European demonstrations. According to the BBC investigation, the compound is Camite—a substance last used during World War I. The report highlights the ongoing protests that began in November and December 2024, during which riot police violently dispersed demonstrators.
The BBC’s investigation references research conducted by Georgian doctors who studied the effects of the substances used during the dispersal on civilians. Their findings were published in the medical journal Toxicology Reports.
According to the study, citizens who were at the center of the violent crackdowns during the early days of the pro-European protests exhibited lung changes several months after exposure.
Initially, the group of doctors created a questionnaire that was completed by 347 individuals affected by the protests. Respondents reported the symptoms they experienced upon direct contact with the substance, as well as any symptoms in the weeks that followed, and again 30 days later. Sixty-nine individuals underwent laboratory tests and medical examinations, with their results compared to those of a control group consisting of 31 people who did not participate in the protests, did not live near Parliament, and were not present in the area during or after the dispersals. In short, they had no contact with the substance used against demonstrators in November and December of last year.
Netgazeti interviewed one of the study’s authors, pediatrician Konstantine Chakhunashvili.
- Dr. Chakhunashvili, let’s begin with when and why you decided to conduct this research.
Many people around us were experiencing specific symptoms — coughing, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, and so on. There was public interest, but also a professional responsibility to study the issue scientifically and document it properly. That’s why we decided to conduct this research. We had planned additional studies as well, but due to a lack of funding, we couldn’t continue and couldn’t examine everything we intended to.
- What symptoms were most common among participants in your study?
We asked participants, “What symptoms do you still have 30 days later?” We created a table based on their responses. The most frequent symptoms were cough and fatigue. There were also psychological effects — panic attacks, anxiety, and similar issues. A total of 125 participants reported these.
The top three symptoms were fatigue, cough, and anxiety. Still, in addition to these three, participants continued to experience — more than a month after the dispersal — shortness of breath, nosebleeds, nausea and vomiting, headaches, abdominal and joint pain, diarrhea, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, skin irritation, eye burning, and more.)
- Tell us about the research methods: who you examined, when, and how. What did your findings reveal?
We collected questionnaires and data in January. The in-person examinations — when participants came to us for testing — took place in February and up to the beginning of March. So by then, quite some time had passed since the dispersals.
We started with a questionnaire. 347 people filled it out. After that, we contacted each participant individually to ask if they could come in for medical testing. Initially, we hoped to examine at least 100 people, but some couldn’t make it, some declined, and ultimately 69 participants came for in-person evaluation. We conducted electrocardiograms, blood pressure measurements, anthropometric assessments (height, weight, etc.), complete blood count and coagulation tests, capillaroscopy, electrocardiography, and more.
Since many participants reported nosebleeds, we wanted to determine whether they had any blood-clotting abnormalities; capillary damage can also cause nosebleeds, which is why we included capillaroscopy. We also checked heart function with ECGs — right-sided cardiac overload can indirectly indicate lung damage, so this was important to examine.
Our hypothesis was confirmed. The ECG results showed right-sided overload, suggesting that, in some participants, the problem with oxygen delivery to the lungs persisted in the long term.
- As you mentioned, the study aimed to identify the effects that victims continued to experience months after exposure to the substance. The BBC investigation, which relies in part on your findings, reports that riot police used a chemical agent during the dispersal. What can you tell us about this?
We don’t know exactly what substance was used. Our goal was to examine the effects of the specific agent on demonstrators. However, the BBC obtained internal information from within the system itself, so they are in a better position than I am to speak about the precise agent used.
What I can say is that if it is confirmed that Camite was used, as the BBC’s investigation suggests, then we are dealing with an entirely different context. Even ordinary CS gas, the tear gas commonly used, is not as harmless as it is sometimes portrayed. For instance, two patients who did not come in for examinations but shared their medical history with us over the phone developed pneumonitis—lung damage—from the substances deployed. Whether that was caused by Camite or something else is, at this point, less important.
To summarize: even standard tear gas should not be used so intensely or so widely, especially in densely populated areas where the general population is inevitably exposed. The goal of the police should be to stop individuals who may be committing offenses, not to punish 100,000, 200,000, or 300,000 peaceful citizens. The use of tear gas must be limited and subject to strict regulations. If Camite was indeed used, as I understand it, it is banned under international conventions. This would require an entirely different legal response and a formal investigation.
- Dr. Chakhunashvili, a few weeks ago, on October 9, your father, Gogi Chakhunashvili, who is also a co-author of this study, was arrested. He is charged with attempting to seize a strategic facility (the Presidential Palace) and participating in group violence, facing up to six years in prison. Last year, during the early days of the pro-European protests, you were also detained administratively. Your family has been actively involved in the protest movement. Given this context, do you expect that publishing this study could lead to increased pressure or reprisals against you?
We’ll see. We submitted this study earlier, on August 8. The review process takes a long time. Our position hasn’t changed and won’t change—everyone knows where we stand. If something does happen, we’ll know precisely why, whether it’s me, my brother, or my father.
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The study includes contributions from Konstantine Chakhunashvili, his brother Davit Chakhunashvili, their father Gogi Chakhunashvili, and physicians Nino Jobava and Gela Ghunashvili.
The BBC investigation relies not only on the study above but also on information provided by whistleblowers from inside the Ministry of Internal Affairs, testimonies from former high-ranking officials, assessments from chemical weapons experts, and evaluations by medical professionals.
Furthermore, the BBC obtained a copy of the December 2019 inventory of the Special Tasks Department. This inventory listed two unnamed chemical substances, described only as “chemical liquid UN1710” and “chemical powder UN3439,” along with mixing instructions.
To verify the inventory’s authenticity, the BBC consulted another former senior officer of the riot police, who confirmed it was likely genuine. He identified the two unnamed chemicals as substances likely added to the water cannon. The next step was to identify these chemicals.
According to the BBC investigation, identifying UN1710 was straightforward; it corresponds to trichloroethylene (TCE), a solvent that helps dissolve other chemicals in water. However, determining the identity of UN3439 proved much more challenging, as it is an umbrella code encompassing a wide range of hazardous industrial chemicals.
The only chemical the BBC says they discovered that has ever been used as a crowd-control agent under this code is bromobenzyl cyanide, also known as Camite, which was developed by the Allied powers during World War I.
In response, the Georgian Dream party has rejected the BBC’s findings and is considering legal action against the media outlet. Additionally, Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) has launched an investigation into the BBC report. The SSS is assessing the credibility of the BBC’s sources and the information they provided. According to the agency, the case is being investigated under two articles of the Georgian Criminal Code: abuse of official authority and assisting a foreign organization in hostile activities.
