Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili told Imedi TV that the BBC’s recent report, which suggested riot police may have used chemical weapons from World War I-era to disperse protests in late 2024, is deliberate disinformation aimed at harming Georgia.

Kavelashvili said the campaign stems from the country’s refusal to follow externally imposed orders, describing it as retaliation by the so-called “Deep State.”

He compared the report to past media coverage of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, saying both were intense, international disinformation campaigns designed to pressure Georgia. “The story is the same over and over,” Kavelashvili said, recalling the global outcry and media coverage that claimed Saakashvili was being tortured and in grave danger.

According to Kavelashvili, such reports are part of a coordinated effort to worsen attitudes toward Georgia internationally.