Romanian Prosecutors Detain Six Individuals on Treason Charges for Alleged Coup Plot with Russian Assistance
Romanian prosecutors have detained six individuals on charges of treason, accusing them of attempting to overthrow the state with the help of Russia. A 101-year-old former army major general also reported that his home had been raided as part of the investigation.
The suspects were arrested on Wednesday, the same day Romania—a member of both the European Union and NATO—declared the Russian embassy’s military attaché and his deputy personae non grata for actions allegedly violating diplomatic norms. Moscow has stated it will respond to the expulsion.
On Thursday, Romanian police revealed that the group had allegedly aimed to undermine the "sovereignty and independence" of Romania by "politically weakening the country’s defense capabilities." Investigators, supported by Romanian intelligence services, uncovered that the group sought to dismantle the current constitutional order, dissolve political parties, and install a new government composed of its members.
Romania’s domestic intelligence agency, the SRI, stated that the group actively sought support from officers within the Russian Federation Embassy to achieve their destabilizing goals. The two expelled Russian diplomats were accused of gathering information in strategic areas and supporting the group’s anti-constitutional efforts.
According to the public prosecutor, two of the suspects traveled to Moscow in January, where they met individuals willing to assist their efforts to seize power in Romania. Russia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the allegations as "speculations," emphasizing that Russia does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.
The group reportedly had a military-style structure, with judicial sources identifying 101-year-old former Romanian Army Major-General Radu Theodoru as a suspect. Theodoru, a Holocaust denier who has repeatedly praised Romania’s fascist World War II leadership, claimed in a Facebook interview with his daughter that the current government represents an "anti-Romanian state" designed to "plunder the country."
Prosecutors revealed that the group had engaged in negotiations with external forces regarding the potential withdrawal of Romania—a country that shares a border with Ukraine—from the NATO military alliance. Their objectives included installing a new government, dissolving the current constitutional order, and introducing new national symbols, such as a flag and anthem, as well as changing the country’s name.
Political tensions in Romania have been heightened since its top court invalidated the December presidential election amid accusations of Russian interference in favor of far-right candidate Calin Georgescu—claims that Moscow has denied. Georgescu himself is under investigation on six charges, all of which he denies.
The current investigation is unrelated to Georgescu, according to prosecution sources. However, judicial sources reported that one of the expelled Russian officials had a loose connection to a suspect in the Georgescu case.
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