“BBC has removed all so-called investigative stories, articles, and other materials from its platform, thus ending the almost two-year-long process related to the defamation,” former Minister of Defense Davit Kezerashvili wrote on social media.

“As a result of the legal dispute I initiated, the BBC has removed all so-called investigative stories, articles, and other materials from its platform. This marks the conclusion of the nearly two-year-long process related to the BBC defamation case, which has confirmed that the allegations made against me were among the most serious defamations.

The BBC has also agreed not to disseminate defamatory information about me in the future.

Additionally, the BBC will reimburse all legal costs incurred from my lawsuit.

All materials prepared for the court, including audited reports and documents from legal and consulting firms, conclusively prove that the accusation suggesting I may have benefited from illegal income is a complete falsehood. The subsequent campaign launched by the Georgian authorities against me was intended to mislead both the Georgian public and our international partners.

This has also been substantiated by the outcomes of other court proceedings held outside Georgia.

The courts have ruled that similar campaigns by the Georgian Dream were either gross violations of human rights (as confirmed by the 2024 Strasbourg Court ruling) or instances of political persecution (as confirmed by the courts in France and the United Kingdom).

I would like to express my gratitude to the legal team that worked diligently to prove the truth,” Kezerashvili wrote.