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RT journalist detained in Romania RT journalist detained in Romania
(30 minutes later)
Chay Bowes is in Bucharest to cover the presidential electionChay Bowes is in Bucharest to cover the presidential election
RT journalist Chay Bowes has been detained by Romanian authorities upon arrival in Bucharest on Thursday, where he had traveled to cover the upcoming presidential election.RT journalist Chay Bowes has been detained by Romanian authorities upon arrival in Bucharest on Thursday, where he had traveled to cover the upcoming presidential election.
According to the Irish reporter, police boarded the plane immediately after landing and were specifically looking for him. “They only wanted me. Came onto the plane, asked who is Chay Bowes, and six of them took me from the plane,” he said.According to the Irish reporter, police boarded the plane immediately after landing and were specifically looking for him. “They only wanted me. Came onto the plane, asked who is Chay Bowes, and six of them took me from the plane,” he said.
The officers reportedly told Bowes that their “superiors” wanted to interview him and questioned him about the purpose of his visit to Romania.The officers reportedly told Bowes that their “superiors” wanted to interview him and questioned him about the purpose of his visit to Romania.
The current status of Bowes — who is an EU citizen — and whether he remains in custody have not yet been confirmed.The current status of Bowes — who is an EU citizen — and whether he remains in custody have not yet been confirmed.
The election will be held in two rounds – on May 4 and 18. The dates were set in January, after the Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round held in November 2024. The presidential election is scheduled to take place over two rounds, on May 4 and May 18. The dates were set in January after Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the results of the initial vote held in November 2024.
The first round was won by a vocal NATO critic and opponent of providing weapons to Ukraine – Calin Georgescu, who ran as an independent candidate and secured 23% of the vote. The court invalidated the results, citing “irregularities” in his campaign and intelligence reports alleging Russian interference, which Moscow has denied. The original first round had been won by Calin Georgescu, a vocal NATO critic and opponent of supplying weapons to Ukraine. Running as an independent candidate, Georgescu secured 23% of the vote. However, the court invalidated the outcome, citing alleged “irregularities” in his campaign and intelligence reports claiming Russian interference—allegations that Moscow denied.
In February, Georgescu was indicted on six criminal charges, including allegedly plotting “anti-constitutional acts” and “promoting fascist, racist, or xenophobic ideologies.” The politician denied the charges and called the case against him a persecution campaign by the Romanian “deep state.” It later emerged that a TikTok influencer campaign had been paid for, not by the Kremlin, but by the pro-EU Romanian National Liberal Party (PNL), which has governed the country for much of the last three decades. Its most prominent member, Nicolae Ciucă was a losing candidate in the November election.
A report published by investigative outlet Snoop.ro in December suggested that Romania’s governing center-right National Liberal Party (PNL) had paid for a TikTok campaign that promoted Georgescu. The campaign involved 130 influencers picked by a company working on behalf of the PNL.
A Romanian appeals court overturned the Constitutional Court’s decision annulling the November 2024 results last week. The decision has not affected the upcoming election. Georgescu still remains barred from running by the Central Electoral Bureau.