Politics Six suspected coup planners arrested in Romania
Six people have been arrested in Romania on suspicion of planning a coup d'état.
06.03.2025, 11:21
SDA
The suspects had also had repeated contact with "agents of foreign powers" "both on the territory of Romania and that of the Russian Federation", according to a statement from the special unit of the public prosecutor's office responsible for organized crime, DIICOT.
According to Romanian media reports, one of those arrested is said to be a 101-year-old retired major general who repeatedly spread anti-Semitic propaganda in the media. DIICOT has requested pre-trial detention for four of the suspects and house arrest for two. A magistrate is to decide on this today.
Plans to seize power and leave Nato
The public prosecutor's office accuses those arrested of treason and founding a criminal group that has been planning since 2023 to "impair the sovereignty and independence of the Romanian state by undermining the country's ability to defend itself".
Their aim was to lead Romania out of NATO, eliminate the current constitutional order and political parties, take over government power, introduce a new constitution and change the country's name and flag, the statement said.
Two of the suspects had traveled to Moscow in January of this year and had met people there who were prepared to support this group's takeover of power in Romania.
Secret service also sees connection with Russia
According to the domestic intelligence service SRI, the suspects also planned a paramilitary group with the aim of destabilizing the constitutional order in Romania. Members of this group had "actively requested the support of officers from the Embassy of the Russian Federation (in Bucharest)", according to a statement from the SRI.
Their arrest was linked to the expulsion of two Russian diplomats from Romania on Wednesday. They had actively supported this group of detainees, the SRI wrote.
The Russian military attaché and his deputy had violated the Vienna Convention of 1961 on diplomatic relations, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest announced. The media see a connection with the pro-Kremlin former presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, who is being investigated by the public prosecutor's office on suspicion of anti-constitutional activities.
Georgescu came first in the later annulled first round of the presidential election on November 24, 2024. He intends to run again in the repeat election on 4 May.
