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Romania’s pro-Russia presidential candidate Călin Georgescu, who won the first round of a subsequently cancelled vote last year, has been taken in for questioning by the police.
Georgescu’s official Facebook page said the far-right politician, who intends to run again in a May rerun of the election, was picked up as he was on his way to file papers for the contest.
Romanian media reported that he was brought in for questioning as a suspect for violating anti-extremist legislation. A lawyer for Georgescu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“They are looking to invent evidence to justify the theft of the elections and to do anything to block my new candidacy for the presidency,” a post said on the politician’s Facebook page. “Where is democracy?”
Last year’s election was scrapped after Romania’s authorities alleged Russian meddling in favour of Georgescu, whose surprise first-round win stunned the country’s political establishment.
But they have yet to provide definitive evidence and this month US vice-president JD Vance denounced the decision as an indication of European backsliding on democracy.
This is a developing story