Allegations of camite use during protests in Georgia have raised concerns about the use of chemical agents in modern law enforcement
For the past two years, Georgia has been witnessing significant protests against the national election results. Recently, some reports, including from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), claimed that water cannons deployed by Georgian police during these November–December 2024 protests contained camite, or bromobenzyl cyanide, a chemical irritant historically used as tear gas but largelyabandoned because of its known toxicity.
The report expanded on symptoms, including skin and lung irritation, coughing, and a burning sensation, and many claimed the chemical was more potent than those typically used to disperse riots, such as CS gas. This claim garnered heavy global attention and criticism of the Georgian government, since camite is a chemical too hazardous under current chemical safety standards and has not been used in modern law enforcement since World War I.
The controversy escalated when, in January 2026, the ruling Georgian Dream party officially filed a complaint against the BBC, demanding a retraction of the documentary and a public apology.
However, the Georgian government has denied using camite. The State Security Service of Georgia asserted in a public statement that the Ministry of Internal Affairs never used it, and that it has only resorted to CS gas. It added that none of the materials used qualifies as chemical weapon materials, which are on the list of banned chemical agents. The controversy escalated when, in January 2026, the ruling Georgian Dream party officially filed a complaint against the BBC, demanding a retraction of the documentary and a public apology. Parliamentary officials called for legal action to be taken against the United Kingdom's Office of Communications and, if the original complaint is not upheld, against the European Court of Human Rights. The Georgian State Security Service also launched a criminal investigation under local statutes for exceeding official powers and for possibly assisting a foreign organisation in hostile activities, claiming that the mere publication of such allegations may harm the state’s interests and reputation.
Internationally, the controversy has attracted sustained attention. Post the reporting of the alleged camite use in December 2025 and the formal complaint in January 2026, the European Union called for a transparent and credible investigation into the reports of the use of chemical agents, stating that the use of camite, if verified, would be unacceptable. The United States Helsinki Commission, an independent agency of the US government that focuses on security and human rights, urged Congress and authorities in Europe to urgently verify reports and, accordingly impose sanctions.
Amnesty International, a human rights NGO, has demanded that a case be made for an independent international inquiry under the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as for an embargo on the transfer of law enforcement material to the Georgian government until the matter is clarified. These appeals reflect a grave concern beyond the use of chemical weapons, where witnesses, experts, and medical personnel who allegedly reported chemical weapon use to the BBC were investigated by the Georgian Police rather than being protected witnesses.
Toxic chemicals used as weapons against civilians are banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Strict legal and ethical limits, meanwhile, stand in the way of even conventional riot-control agents. Use of a banned agent could thus trigger formal inquiry obligations by international bodies and potentially sanctions by states party to such treaties.
The government’s strong denials and legal actions against critics stand in contrast to calls made by Opposition parties and civil society for transparency and accountability.
The use of chemicals, including RCAs, can have profound health implications. In discussing health concerns, independent health surveys have cited severe health reactions, including lingering health effects of the agents. Not only are individuals at risk, but the trust of the population is also at stake. The conflict over chemical use has become interlinked with political polarisation in Georgia. The government’s strong denials and legal actions against critics stand in contrast to calls made by Opposition parties and civil society for transparency and accountability. This set of dynamics can further deepen public mistrust in law enforcement and judicial institutions unless independent verification mechanisms are put in place.
The Georgian government has already denied any claims of the use of chemical weapons. However, this does not fully resolve the matter. The alleged claims must be probed, and this requires government support for a free and easy investigation, along with assurances that such allegations will not be true in the future. For this, the Georgian government can undertake several steps to ensure that trust is maintained and the civilian population is protected from chemical weapons.
The pressing need is to ensure that chemical weapons, and even the alleged use of them, does not resurge in the present.
The reports of chemical-induced water cannons aimed at protesting civilians in Georgia have resulted in a very complex dispute, with the rightful demand for evidence before chemical weapon accusations by the Georgian government and the rightful global outcry for human rights if such allegations end up being true. The pressing need is to ensure that chemical weapons, and even the alleged use of them, does not resurge in the present. It is imperative that third-party authorities under the OPCW can rapidly investigate and confirm or deny such allegations, not only for the treatment of individuals affected and government accountability, but also for ensuring public trust in global governance does not fail during a period of civil unrest.
Shravishtha Ajaykumar is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Security, Strategy, and Technology
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Shravishtha Ajaykumar is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Security, Strategy, and Technology. Her research areas include Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) strategy ...
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