03/12/2025
š More than 30 Georgian diaspora organizations involved in the āMzia Movementā are appealing to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and demanding an international investigation. According to a BBC investigation, the Georgian Dream Government mixed a long-lasting and powerful toxic substance used in World War I with water cannons to disperse the protest. The emigrants are calling on the governments of democratic countries to support an investigation by impartial and qualified experts, and to take immediate action, including targeted sanctions, if the use of prohibited substances by the āGeorgian Dreamā party against its citizens is confirmed.
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H.E. Mr. Fernando Arias
Director-General
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
H.E. Ambassador Thomas Schieb
Chairperson of the Executive Council
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
Your Excellencies,
We, representatives of Georgian diaspora communities around the world, more than 30 emigrant groups that are part of the "MZIA movement" (https://freemzia.com/mzia-movement) , are writing to you with deep concern and a strong sense of responsibility.
Recent reporting by the BBC has raised a disturbing possibility: that Georgian authorities may have used a toxic chemical substance - bromobenzyl cyanide, a compound historically associated with early chemical warfare - against peaceful demonstrators in Tbilisi.
For many of us living abroad, this news was not just alarming, it was heartbreaking. Families, students, young people, and ordinary citizens who took to the streets to express their views reportedly experienced severe symptoms - chemical burns, breathing problems, long-lasting weakness, and cardiac irregularities which, according to doctors - do not resemble reactions to standard tear gas. These are not merely āriot-controlā side effects. These are signs of something far more dangerous.
If these allegations are true, then the use of such a substance against civilians would represent a profound violation of human rights and of the Chemical Weapons Convention -a treaty Georgia has committed to uphold.
For this reason, we respectfully appeal for your support and action.
We hereby ask:
1. For the OPCW to launch an independent, expert-led inquiry into whether prohibited chemical agents were used during protests in Georgia last winter.
2. For democratic governments to support and encourage such an investigation, ensuring that evidence is protected and testimonies from victims are collected in safely manner.
3. For consideration of appropriate consequences, including targeted sanctions, should the investigation confirm that banned chemical agents were used against the Georgian people.
We want to be clear: this is not a call for punishment for its own sake. This is a call for protection - for truth, transparency, and safety for the people of Georgia.
The Georgian diaspora deeply values the democratic principles on which many of us have built our lives in your country.We believe that no government should be allowed to use toxic chemicals against its own citizens without facing an impartial and credible investigation.
We stand ready to assist - to provide testimonies, connect you with victims, and help ensure that this issue receives the attention it merits.
Your support at this moment would mean more than you could imagine, not only for the victims but for every Georgian who still believes in the promise of a free, democratic, and humane country.
With appreciation and hope for your supportive reply,
Sincerely,
Coordinating Group of the āMzia Movementā
