Six people have been arrested on treason charges in Romania, accused of plotting a coup with the aid of Russia, authorities in Bucharest announced on March 6.
Police stated that the group, named “Comandamentul Vlad Tepes” or the “Vlad the Impaler Command” was formed to allegedly undermine the “sovereignty and independence” of the Romanian state by “politically undermining the country’s defense capacity.”
Vlad the Impaler ruled Wallachia, now in modern-day Romania, in the 15th century. The brutal warlord fought against Ottoman rule and was the inspiration for the title character in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.”
Investigations revealed that the group sought “the removal of the current constitutional order, the dissolution of political parties,” and the installation of a new government formed by its members, according to police.
Police stated that the Vlad the Impaler Command had “a military-type structure” and wished to negotiate an exit from NATO, as well as instituting a new constitution and changing the nation’s name, flag, and anthem.
“The members of the criminal group would have repeatedly contacted agents of a foreign power, located both on the territory of Romania and the Russian Federation,” police stated.
Two of the suspects allegedly traveled to Moscow in January, where police say they had contact with individuals who supported the organization’s “efforts to take over state power in Romania.”
Ongoing Tension With Moscow Over Election
The raids came on the same day that Romania expelled two military diplomats from Russia’s embassy in the country.Tensions continue to simmer between Moscow and Bucharest amid claims that the Kremlin attempted to interfere in the last Romanian presidential election on behalf of the unexpected frontrunner, Calin Georgescu.
Georgescu has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as “a man who loves his country” and has called Ukraine “an invented state” but says he is not pro-Russian.
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the decision related to Russia’s military, air. and naval attaché, Victor Makovskiy, and his deputy, Evgeni Ignatiev, over alleged “activities that contravene the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.”
“The two Russian diplomats carried out intelligence-gathering actions in areas of strategic interest and took actions to support the group’s anti-constitutional actions,” the SRI said in its March 6 statement.
On March 5, the Russian Embassy described the expulsions as “unfounded and unfriendly” and stated that the embassy “reserves the right to take retaliatory measures.”
Politics has been fraught in Romania since Bucharest’s top court voided the presidential election in December 2024 amid accusations of Russian interference on behalf of Georgescu. Moscow has denied interference.
Georgescu is himself under investigation on six charges, all of which he denies.
The European Court of Human Rights on March 6 rejected a complaint lodged by Georgescu on Dec. 16, 2024, after the annulment of the election, in which he claimed the cancellation was illegal and based on unsubstantiated accusations.
The first round of the election rerun is scheduled for May 4. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will follow on May 18.
It remains unclear whether Georgescu will be able to participate in the new election.
The investigation into the Vlad the Impaler Command is unrelated to Georgescu.
