“We will utilise all available legal channels, and we sincerely hope that, in due course, the BBC will apologise to Georgia for disseminating information and lies that have damaged its reputation,” stated MP Levan Makhashvili, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration.

According to Makhashvili, Georgia is under a hybrid attack, including in the realm of information, and such falsehoods unquestionably warrant a legal response.

“Naturally, the Georgian government is taking these steps using the methods and means currently at our disposal. Britain has its own legal procedures, which involve several stages: the initial step is for the complainant to raise concerns directly with the media outlet, followed by engagement with the British regulator, and ultimately, judicial proceedings. We will pursue all these avenues and hope that this matter will be resolved within the framework of the BBC. Ultimately, we expect the BBC to apologise to Georgia for spreading information and lies that have damaged our reputation,” he said.

Makhashvili explained that the purpose of the programme was to mislead the public by presenting a mixture of true and false information, thereby damaging the image of the Georgian government and the country on the international stage.

“The statements made, and the context in which these lies were employed, indicate that this was a premeditated, carefully planned information attack against Georgia. Its sole aim was to tarnish our reputation. Therefore, we demand that the BBC, through the same channels and in whatever form these falsehoods were propagated, publicly acknowledge that this was incorrect, misleading information, and take steps to repair the damage caused to Georgia’s reputation,” he added.

For the record, the Georgian Dream has lodged an official complaint with the BBC and is demanding an apology.