Six people have been arrested in Romania on suspicion of planning a coup. They are suspected of having maintained contact with "agents of foreign powers", both in Romania and the Russian Federation, according to a statement from the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism DIICOT.
Two of the accused traveled to Moscow
Romanian media reported that one of the detainees is 101-year-old Major General Radu Teodoru. Teodoru is a supporter of far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, who won the first round of the presidential election in November before it was annulled.
According to investigators, the group actively worked to withdraw Romania from NATO, ban the country's current political parties, change the constitution and change the current name, flag and anthem of Romania. According to Romanian intelligence, they wanted to create a paramilitary organization for this purpose.
"Two of the defendants traveled to Moscow in January, where they met with individuals ready to support their organization's efforts to seize power in Romania," the DIICOT statement said.
Romania expels Russian diplomats
The arrests are also linked to the expulsion of two Russian diplomats from Romania on Wednesday. They actively supported this group, the authorities in Bucharest report.
It was precisely the suspicions of Russian interference that led to the cancellation of the first round of the presidential election at the end of last year. Last month, Romanian authorities also launched an investigation against a group of 27 people for alleged "actions against the constitutional order of Romania" and "creating an organization that spreads fascist, racist and xenophobic messages", recalls "Balkan Insight".
In this regard, on February 26, prosecutors indicted right-wing presidential candidate Calin Georgescu on six suspicions, including incitement to undermine the constitutional order, spreading false information and creating an anti-Semitic organization. Georgescu faces 20 years in prison and a ban on running for president again in the elections to be held on May 4.