By STEPHEN McGRATH and VADIM GHIRDA
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Six people suspected of colluding with Russia to plot a coup against the Romanian government have been detained, according to police in the European Union and NATO-member country.
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, detained all six on Wednesday for forming a criminal group, which was initially set up in 2023 and had links to Russia.
Police said the group was formed to allegedly undermine the “sovereignty and independence” of the Romanian state by “politically undermining the country’s defense capacity.”
Investigations supported by Romanian intelligence services revealed that the group allegedly sought “the removal of the current constitutional order, the dissolution of political parties,” and the installation of a new government formed by its members, police said.
“In order to achieve their destabilizing objectives, representatives of the group actively requested support from officers within the Embassy of the Russian Federation,” said Romania’s domestic intelligence agency, the SRI.
The group had “a military-type structure” that aimed to negotiate withdrawal from NATO, which Romania joined in 2004, as well as the adoption of a new Constitution, country name, flag and anthem, police said.
“The members of the criminal group would have repeatedly contacted agents of a foreign power, located both on the territory of Romania and the Russian Federation,” police said.
Two of the suspects allegedly traveled to Moscow in January this year, where police allege they had contact with individuals who supported the organization’s “efforts to take over state power in Romania,” police added.
Police raids and diplomatic expulsions raise tensions with Moscow
On Wednesday, authorities raided eight homes in the municipality of Bucharest and the counties of Ilfov, Giurgiu, and Maramures, which police said yielded “several pieces of evidence” that were seized.
The raids came the same day Romania expelled two military diplomats from the Russian embassy in Bucharest as tensions soar between Moscow and Bucharest.
Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision related to Russia’s military, air and naval attaché, Victor Makovskiy, and his deputy, Evgeni Ignatiev, over alleged “activities that contravene the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.” The ministry did not provide further details.
“The two Russian diplomats carried out intelligence-gathering actions in areas of strategic interest and took actions to support the group’s anti-constitutional actions,” the SRI added in its statement Thursday. There was no immediate comment from Russia.
On Wednesday, the Russian embassy described the expulsions as “unfounded and unfriendly” and said the embassy “reserves the right to take retaliatory measures.”
Russian state news agency TASS on Tuesday reported claims from Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence agency that the EU was seeking to interfere in Romania’s upcoming presidential election. The SVR said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had asked Bucharest to bar Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in last year’s canceled election, from participating in the rerun in May.
Georgescu has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as “a man who loves his country” and called Ukraine “an invented state,” but he claims not to be pro-Russian.
The Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the election two days before the Dec. 8 runoff after Georgescu’s surprise first-round win. The far-right populist had polled in single digits and declared zero campaign spending, after which allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Moscow has denied interfering in the Romanian election process.
Georgescu under investigation by prosecutors
Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against Georgescu last week, accusing him of supporting fascist groups, “incitement to actions against the constitutional order,” and false declarations regarding electoral campaign financing and asset disclosures. On Thursday, a court in Bucharest also rejected an appeal by Georgescu that challenged judicial control measures imposed on him.
Georgescu, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, said on Monday outside a court in Bucharest that it is “a political case” against him.
The European Court of Human Rights on Thursday also rejected a complaint lodged by Georgescu on Dec. 16 after the election was annulled, in which he claimed the cancellation was unlawful and based on unsubstantiated accusations. The decision was final, the court said.
In a separate case last week, Romanian authorities conducted 47 searches in five counties reportedly linked to some of Georgescu’s associates, which uncovered a large cache of lethal weapons — including grenade launchers and guns — and several million dollars (euros) in cash of various currencies.
Prosecutors said the allegations against the suspects included “false statements regarding the sources of financing” of an electoral campaign, illegal possession of weapons and initiating or establishing an organization “with a fascist, racist or xenophobic” character.
The first round of the rerun of the election is scheduled for May 4. If no candidate gets more than 50% of ballots, a runoff will follow on May 18.
It isn’t yet clear whether Georgescu will be able to participate in the new election.