Key facts
- Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russian former presidential candidate, will be moved to house arrest for 30 days.
- He is under investigation for suspected fraud.
- Prosecutors allege Georgescu and two others defrauded a businessman of €1.1 million.
- Georgescu denies wrongdoing in the fraud case.
- Romania canceled its 2024 presidential election due to suspected Russian interference favoring Georgescu.
- Georgescu faces two other separate trials.
A Romanian court ruled on Tuesday that Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russian former frontrunner in a cancelled 2024 presidential election, should be moved from police custody to house arrest for 30 days pending a criminal probe into suspected fraud. Prosecutors allege Georgescu and two other suspects persuaded a Romanian businessman to give them €1.1 million by making him believe they could help him secure a credit line of up to €15 million from a foreign financial institution. Georgescu denies wrongdoing. He had previously challenged a late September court ruling to keep him in police custody. The decision for house arrest can be appealed.
Hundreds of Georgescu supporters have been protesting against his investigation. George Simion, leader of the hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians, said Tuesday's ruling was a sign protesters were being heard.
Georgescu, who was banned from running again but remains popular, is already on trial in two separate cases: one on charges of attempting to disrupt national security after the election was cancelled, and the second for promoting Romania's 1930s fascist leaders, which is illegal. He denies wrongdoing in these cases as well.
Romania, a member of NATO and the European Union, canceled its presidential election in December 2024 over suspected Russian interference in favor of Georgescu, a strong critic of NATO, Brussels, and Western support for Ukraine. Russia denied interfering in the vote. The presidential election was re-run in May 2025 and was ultimately won by pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan.