Georgia’s opposition parties launch data collection on alleged chemical poisoning of protesters

Several Georgian opposition parties say they are launching an initiative to collect information about alleged cases of chemical poisoning during protests and are calling on participants to share their experiences with experts.

In a joint statement, United National Movement, Droa, Akhali, Girchi – More Freedom and Strategy Aghmashenebeli said they have begun gathering evidence on the issue.

According to the parties, the questionnaire used for the research was developed jointly by Georgian experts together with the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims and the Independent Forensic Expert Group.

“We are starting to collect information on chemical poisoning. We call on protest participants to use this opportunity and share their experiences with researchers. We need to know what health problems were caused by the use of chemical substances against the population,” the statement reads.

The parties say the collected data will be used to prepare an expert conclusion on the alleged incidents.