Kaladze denies use of prohibited substances during last year’s protests

Tbilisi Mayor and ruling Georgian Dream party Secretary General Kakha Kaladze has rejected allegations that the government had used any banned substances to disperse protests last year caused by the government’s decision to delay the country’s EU integration, calling the claims part of a campaign against Georgia.

Responding to questions about a recent BBC investigation which claimed toxic agent Camite had been used against peaceful demonstrators, Kaladze said “this is a very big lie and a false campaign, which is not the first instance. I can say with full responsibility that no prohibited substances were used. The rest will be clarified through an ongoing investigation, which will confirm all facts and findings.”

The mayor described the allegations as a deliberate provocation and drew parallels to previous disinformation campaigns in Georgia, including claims about former President Mikheil Saakashvili being poisoned while in custody.

“When deliberate falsehoods are spread without any evidence, it is an attempt against the country,” he said.

Kaladze also noted that protest dispersals occurred in many countries worldwide and that Georgian authorities used only methods considered legal and acceptable.

“Nothing prohibited was used. Whatever was applied was within permissible limits. The investigation will provide concrete results on exactly what was used,” he said.