Politicians, rights groups call for Saturday protest over alleged use of chemical agents at rallies

Politicians, human rights defenders, and civil society groups have urged citizens to join a protest march scheduled for Saturday at 19:00 near the Tbilisi Philharmonic Hall. The demonstration will address reports of the alleged use of chemical substances during recent anti-government protests.

Organizers and activists insisted the case must become the subject of an international investigation.

Giga Lemonjava, a leader of the Coalition for Change, said that reactions to the emerging evidence strongly suggested that the ruling Georgian Dream government “very likely used prohibited chemical agents against Georgian citizens.”

“This weapon was used not only against protesters but also against residents near Rustaveli Avenue, including children studying at the Classical Gymnasium. This is an extremely grave crime under both Georgian law and international law. If confirmed, Bidzina Ivanishvili and many members of this criminal group must be held accountable before international justice,” Lemonjava stated.

Bakur Kvashilava, Secretary-General of the Freedom Square movement, argued that the government-run investigation lacked credibility.

“The fact that traces of chemical elements were discovered by the BBC’s investigation - not by an independent prosecutor’s office or the Ministry of Health - shows that state institutions have been captured by Georgian Dream. Their so-called investigation is absurd and only aims to intimidate those who conducted this research. We demand an international investigation, and that’s why it is important that many of us gather on Saturday at 19:00 near the Philharmonic,” Kvashilava said.