Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze told the Parliament’s Defense and Security Committee that the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not purchase or use the substance known as “camite” during the November–December 2024 protests. According to him, the ministry does not possess such a substance, and therefore could not have deployed it during the dispersal of demonstrations.
Darakhvelidze said the exact substance used will become known only after the ongoing investigation is completed, but emphasized that no special means posing a threat to protesters’ health were used. He noted that, in cases of mass unrest and attacks on police, officers are authorized, and obligated, to use legally approved tools such as water cannons, tear gas, physical force and other listed special means.
Reiterating that “camite” was never purchased or used by the ministry, Darakhvelidze said that once the investigation concludes, it will be clear that the substance deployed was consistent with practices used by European and American police in similar situations. He also insisted that the events on Rustaveli Avenue from November 28 to December 5, 2024, did not constitute a peaceful protest but a violent attempt to storm state institutions, during which 171 police officers were injured and part of the Parliament building was set on fire.
Darakhvelidze added that the investigation will provide full clarity, but stressed that the ministry acted within the legal framework and used only standard crowd-control methods.
