Imagine being doused with a chemical weapon straight out of World War One while peacefully protesting for your country's future – a shocking reality uncovered by BBC investigations in Georgia. But here's where it gets controversial: could this be a desperate overreach by authorities, or a necessary measure against unrest? Dive in to explore the evidence that points to a long-forgotten agent being revived for crowd control.
Just a few hours ago, the BBC's Eye Investigations team, led by Max Hudson, Oana Marocico, and Sarah Buckley, revealed compelling evidence that Georgian officials deployed a World War One-era toxic substance to suppress anti-government demonstrators in the capital city of Tbilisi last year. For beginners wondering what this means, think of it as using an outdated military tool in a modern protest scenario – something that experts say raises serious ethical and legal red flags.
One protester vividly described the harrowing experience: 'You could sense the water searing your skin,' he recounted about the water cannons unleashed on him and fellow activists. What's more, this burning feeling didn't fade quickly; even attempts to rinse it off only intensified the discomfort. Not just a fleeting irritation, these demonstrators reported enduring symptoms like difficulty breathing, persistent coughing, and even vomiting that dragged on for weeks. And this is the part most people miss – these weren't isolated complaints. A broader pattern emerged from firsthand accounts, hinting at something far more sinister than standard tear gas.
Drawing from interviews with chemical warfare specialists, insiders from Georgia's riot police, and medical professionals, the BBC pieced together a case suggesting the substance in question is an agent originally dubbed 'camite' by the French military. To clarify for those new to this, camite is a type of bromobenzyl cyanide, a potent irritant designed for warfare, which works by causing intense irritation to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Georgian officials dismissed the BBC's conclusions as 'absurd,' insisting that police actions were lawful responses to what they called the 'illegal activities of brutal criminals.' But here's where it gets really intriguing – why label protesters that way when they're fighting for constitutional rights like EU membership?
Camite saw action during World War One when France used it against German forces. Its history is sparse after that, but records indicate it was phased out around the 1930s due to fears over its prolonged effects on people and the environment. Enter CS gas, often called tear gas, as a safer alternative that causes temporary discomfort without the lasting damage. Yet, in a twist that echoes historical blunders, Georgian forces apparently reverted to this relic.
Take Dr. Konstantine Chakhunashvili, for instance – a pediatrician who joined the protests outside parliament in Tbilisi starting November 28, 2024. The ruling party's decision to halt EU accession talks sparked widespread outrage, as achieving EU membership is a cornerstone of Georgia's constitution. Police countered with an arsenal of tactics, including water cannons, pepper spray, and CS gas. Dr. Chakhunashvili, no stranger to these demonstrations, recounted how his skin felt like it was on fire for days, and bizarrely, washing it made things worse. Intrigued by his own ordeal, he turned to social media to survey others affected during the initial week of unrest. Nearly 350 individuals responded, with almost half reporting symptoms persisting beyond 30 days – think ongoing headaches, exhaustion, coughs, breathlessness, and nausea.
His research didn't stop there; it underwent peer review and was accepted for publication in Toxicology Reports, a respected international journal. Moreover, he examined 69 of those surveyed and detected notable irregularities in their heart's electrical signals, suggesting deeper health impacts. This aligns with observations from local reporters, healthcare workers, and human rights groups, who demanded transparency from the government about the water cannons' contents. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, overseeing the police, stonewalled these requests.
Enter the whistleblowers: High-ranking figures from the Special Tasks Department – Georgia's official riot police unit – provided the BBC with crucial insights. Lasha Shergelashvili, a former head of weaponry, recalled being tasked in 2009 to evaluate a substance for water cannons. The effects were unlike any he'd encountered before; even proximity caused breathing troubles, and neither water nor a baking soda solution could fully alleviate the irritation. 'The impact lingered, unlike regular tear gas,' he explained, noting that he and 15-20 colleagues couldn't shake it off easily. As a result, he advised against its use, yet the cannons were loaded with it anyway, persisting until at least 2022 when he resigned and relocated to Ukraine.
From his new base, Shergelashvili watched protest footage and instantly recognized the signs. Colleagues still in the force corroborated his suspicions, and another ex-police officer confirmed the substance matched what was in the vehicles during his tenure. For context, if you're unfamiliar with riot control, CS gas irritates the eyes, skin, and airways but clears up in minutes or hours. This mystery chemical, however, seemed exponentially more powerful – perhaps 10 times stronger, making an area uninhabitable for days even after attempted cleanup.
Shergelashvili couldn't identify the exact compound, but the BBC secured a 2019 inventory from the Special Tasks Department listing two ambiguous items: 'Chemical liquid UN1710' and 'Chemical powder UN3439,' with mixing guidelines. To verify authenticity, they consulted another former riot police leader, who vouched for it and linked the codes to the cannons' contents. UN1710 is straightforward – it's the designation for trichloroethylene (TCE), a solvent that helps dissolve other chemicals in water, like a mixing agent in a toxic cocktail. UN3439 is trickier, as it's a broad category for hazardous industrial substances, but only one fits the riot control bill: bromobenzyl cyanide, aka camite.
To confirm, the BBC enlisted Prof. Christopher Holstege, a leading expert in toxicology and chemical weapons. Reviewing Dr. Chakhunashvili's data, eyewitness stories, the inventory, and Shergelashvili's test accounts, Prof. Holstege concluded that camite was indeed the culprit. 'The symptoms match bromobenzyl cyanide perfectly,' he stated, ruling out conventional agents like CS gas used concurrently. 'The prolonged effects aren't typical of standard crowd-dispersal tools,' he added. 'Camite is extremely irritating and sticks around – I've never seen it in modern use. It's a powerful deterrent that forces people away and complicates decontamination.'
Briefly adopted by U.S. police after World War One, camite was soon discarded for gentler options like CS gas. International law permits chemical agents for crowd control if they're proportionate and cause only short-term harm. But with safer alternatives available, deploying an outdated, potent one might classify it as a chemical weapon, say the experts consulted. This raises a controversial point: is Georgia experimenting on its citizens, or is this justified in the face of 'brutal criminals'?
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Edwards, voiced alarm, especially given past allegations of police brutality and torture in Georgia. She highlighted the unregulated nature of chemical-laced water cannons: 'This smacks of an experimental weapon, violating human rights by subjecting people to untested risks.' She emphasized that riot control effects must be temporary, and the reported weeks-long symptoms could warrant investigations for torture or mistreatment. Georgian authorities shot back, calling the findings 'deeply frivolous' and 'absurd,' claiming everything was constitutional and necessary.
Protests along Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue have scaled back in numbers due to harsher penalties and jail threats, but they continue nightly, fueled by accusations of rigged elections, pro-Russian leanings, and oppressive laws against civil society. The ruling Georgian Dream party denies any Russian alignment, asserting their policies prioritize 'public welfare' and that Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman, supports national interests.
What do you think – does this cross a line, or is it a pragmatic choice in volatile times? Should obsolete chemicals like camite be banned from policing altogether? And how might this affect Georgia's EU aspirations? Share your opinions, agreements, or disagreements in the comments – let's discuss!
For UK viewers, catch more on Global Eye at 19:00 on December 1st on BBC Two. Internationally, check out the full film on BBC World Service YouTube at https://youtu.be/z4-koO916Gk.
