Romania Investigates Far-Right Politician’s Network
Prosecutors in Romania have asked the court to hold 21 people, including a former French Foreign Legion soldier, for temporary arrest. These individuals are linked to far-right politician Calin Georgescu.
Police searched several homes and offices connected to Georgescu and his team on February 28. They found many weapons, such as grenade launchers, and hidden cash. Georgescu is a pro-Russian politician who has made negative comments about Ukraine.
Georgescu won the first round of Romania’s presidential election in November. However, the country’s Constitutional Court later cancelled the results due to possible foreign interference.
Georgescu is now facing charges for inciting actions against the constitutional order and other crimes. The investigation into election-related crimes has uncovered links to an alleged illegal weapons network.
One of those being held includes a former soldier who served in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He made a statement saying it’s better to live with illegally possessed guns than to die legally.
Romanian intelligence agencies believe that Georgescu’s unexpected victory was due to aggressive Russian actions, including cyberattacks and information leaks. The country’s foreign intelligence service reported that a state actor had backed a sophisticated disinformation campaign to support the far-right candidate.
The US Vice President called Romania’s decision to cancel the election results “flimsy” and politically motivated. Billionaire Elon Musk also commented on Georgescu’s detention, criticizing it in a post on his social media platform X.
The ongoing criminal case might stop Georgescu from running in the rescheduled presidential election on May 4. If elected, he has promised to ban Ukrainian grain exports through Romania and halt military aid to Kyiv.
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