Romanian prosecutors from the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) announced on March 5 the detention of six individuals accused of forming a military-style organisation aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order. The group was reportedly led by a retired major-general and allegedly received support from “agents of a foreign power” based in both Romania and Russia.

This investigation is part of a broader crackdown on far-right groups in Romania, coinciding with the political rise of Calin Georgescu, a far-right politician expected to run for president. Georgescu won the first round of last year’s annulled presidential election, and his candidacy has been linked to extremist movements, some of which have allegedly maintained contact with Russian entities.

The case highlights concerns over Russian influence in Romania’s far-right movements, with authorities now investigating the extent of foreign involvement in extremist political activities.

The DIICOT investigation has exposed the activities of numerous far-right organisations in Romania, many of which have operated openly for decades, promoting Holocaust denial and other extremist ideologies. These groups maintain an online presence, recruit members, and in some cases, provide paramilitary training.

Among those detained is 101-year-old Radu Theodoru, a former deputy president of the now-defunct far-right Greater Romania party. Theodoru has a long history of promoting anti-Semitic rhetoric and Holocaust denial. His organisation, known as the Vlad Țepeș Command Centre, describes itself as a structured military entity, with an enrolment form referring to “registration in the country's army”. The group advocates for a new state, “Getia", to replace Romania’s current constitutional institutions.

Romania’s intelligence service (SRI) reported that two Russian diplomats, declared persona non grata on March 5, had supported the organisation’s activities. In January, two of the detained suspects reportedly travelled to Moscow, where they met individuals willing to aid their efforts. Additionally, the diplomats are believed to have been in contact with another far-right organisation linked to Marian Motoc, a Romanian under investigation for illegal political activities. Motoc, in turn, has ties to Georgescu and was allegedly involved in a broader plot against the state.