Update 2: Elon Musk also reacted on social media after Călin Georgescu was brought to the Prosecutor General's Office for questioning. Sharing a post on X, he said, "They just arrested the person who won the most votes in the Romanian presidential election. This is messed up."

At the time this story was published, however, Călin Georgescu is only being questioned by prosecutors, without knowing either his capacity in the case or whether a detention measure will be taken.

Update 1: Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu had his first reaction after Călin Georgescu was brought in for questioning at the Prosecutor's Office. He said that, given the tense electoral context, judicial bodies are obligated to present solid and impeccable evidence in the investigation that also involves a potential candidate in the May elections. He also reiterated that the judiciary is independent, and the law must be applied regardless of individuals, while respecting all fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.

"Only the communication of clear and impeccably substantiated evidence can ensure that this criminal investigation is not diverted into an electoral campaign for a specific candidate," said Ciolacu to Digi24.

Initial story: Călin Georgescu, the far-right politician who emerged from obscurity to the first place in the now-cancelled presidential elections, and whose financial backing was questioned from the beginning, was taken in to be questioned by prosecutors on Wednesday, February 26, amid wide-scale raids in a case targeting, among others, alleged actions against the constitutional order. He was stopped in traffic by the police and taken to the Prosecutor General's Office (a video of this moment was released on social media here). 

The former presidential candidate's communication team confirmed the news on social media, saying, "Călin Georgescu was about to submit his new candidacy for the presidency. Approximately 30 minutes ago, the system stopped him in traffic and took him in for questioning at the General Prosecutor’s Office! Where is democracy, and where are the partners who should be defending it?"

Georgescu is to be questioned as a part of a large police investigation that reportedly targets mercenary Horațiu Potra, in connection with the financing of the former's campaign for president. Roughly 50 searches were organized in the same case, which also targets alleged actions against the constitutional order, a crime punishable with 15 to 25 years in prison. 

Judicial sources say that Georgescu is to be questioned as a suspect, according to News.ro.

“This morning, the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the Romanian Police are conducting 47 home searches in a large-scale operation. The activities are taking place in the counties of Sibiu, Mureș, Ilfov, Timiș, and Cluj, targeting 27 individuals and four headquarters belonging to legal entities, as part of a criminal case investigating the crimes of initiating or establishing an organization with a fascist, racist, or xenophobic character, as well as supporting or joining such a group in any form, promoting in public the cult of persons guilty of committing crimes of genocide against humanity and war crimes, as well as spreading fascist, legionary, racist, or xenophobic ideas, concepts, or doctrines in the public sphere,” the police press release stated.

The 27 individuals are reportedly associates of Horațiu Potra, the leader of the Romanian mercenaries in Congo. They are also under investigation, suspected of financially contributing to Georgescu's campaign and of "establishing an organization with a fascist, racist, or xenophobic character."

In response, Călin Georgescu, who initially denied any connection to Potra before pictures of them were made public, accused the authorities of abuses and political intimidation.

"The communist-Bolshevik system continues its heinous abuses! Today, at 6 AM, they once again stormed dozens of locations, waking children from their sleep. They are trying to fabricate evidence to justify the election theft and to do everything possible to block my candidacy for the presidency. They have been searching for three months without success,” Georgescu said in a post on Facebook.

The far-right politician, who was on his way to register as a candidate for the presidential elections in May, according to his team, also called his supporters to join a rally in front of the government headquarters on Sunday, March 2.

George Simion, the leader of far-right party AUR, which supports the presidential candidacy of Călin Georgescu, denounced what he calls an "abuse by the totalitarian state," according to Euronews Romania. He claimed that Georgescu was taken in for questioning just an hour and a half before a scheduled meeting to complete his candidacy file for the presidential elections.

Moreover, the AUR leader claimed that the action is intended to deliberately block Georgescu’s candidacy and, together with the party’s MPs, said that they will monitor the investigation to ensure that the law and the Constitution are not violated. Another far-right party backing Georgescu, POT, also announced that its representatives will go to the General Prosecutor’s Office. 

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / Malina Norocea)