PM Kobakhidze accuses BBC of spreading ‘deliberate false information’ against Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused the BBC of being “deliberately provided with false information aimed against the interests of the Georgian state,” suggesting that such actions could be considered criminal.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Kobakhidze said that when a media outlet intentionally disseminated false information harming national interests, it could legally be classified as hostile activity.

“When you facilitate the spread of false information by a specific organization that is harmful to the state, it can be considered a crime. I am not the one to legally classify it - that is the responsibility of the relevant authorities - but deliberately providing false information against state interests can certainly qualify as a criminal offense. In this case, the BBC was given false information claiming that a specific substance had been used. This was intentionally provided against the state’s interests and can therefore be legally evaluated as hostile activity. Any sanctions based on false information would hold no value,” Kobakhidze said.