BUCHAREST, October 29 (Aalimi Nation) – A Romanian appeals court has extended the pre-trial detention of far-right politician Calin Georgescu by 30 days, keeping him in police custody until November 27 in a fraud investigation.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled on Wednesday, reversing an earlier decision. In that October 13 ruling, a lower court had ordered that Mr. Georgescu be moved from custody to 30 days of house arrest while the investigation continued. Accounts of the lower-court ruling differ in some details, but the appeals court's ruling means he stays in custody. Reports describe the appeals decision as final.
Prosecutors accuse Mr. Georgescu of fraud involving 1.1 million euros, or about 1.2 million dollars. They allege that he and two other suspects persuaded a Romanian businessman to hand over the money by claiming they could secure a credit line of up to 15 million euros from a foreign financial institution. The case is being handled by the country's directorate for organised crime and terrorism, which appealed against the lower court's decision. Prosecutors have also alleged that an organised criminal group was formed.
Mr. Georgescu denies any wrongdoing. He has described the investigations against him as politically motivated. The allegations have not been tested at trial, and he has not been convicted of the fraud offences described by prosecutors.
Hundreds of supporters protested outside the Bucharest court on Wednesday, and some entered the court building, demanding his release. George Simion, the leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians, said the earlier lower-court ruling showed that protesters were being heard. After the appeals decision, he announced further street protests and described Mr. Georgescu as a political prisoner.
Mr. Georgescu is also the subject of a separate case. In it, prosecutors accuse him of instigating violence after the annulled presidential ballot, spreading false information, attempting to disrupt national security and promoting political figures from the 1930s who espoused fascism. That case is distinct from the fraud inquiry that led to the current detention order.
His name became known internationally in November 2024, when he won the most votes in the first round of Romania's presidential election. The results and the planned second round were annulled over alleged Russian interference, which Moscow denied. He was barred from standing again, and the pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan won the rerun held in May 2025.
Romania's wider politics have also been unsettled. Parliament has approved a government led by the pro-European Luca Niculescu, who is now prime minister, ending months of deadlock after the previous coalition collapsed in May.
With the new order, Mr. Georgescu's detention is set to run until November 27. Prosecutors can ask for it to be extended again before then, and the defence can seek its review. The investigation into the fraud allegation is continuing, and no trial date has been announced in the reports available. Supporters have said they intend to keep up their demonstrations in the coming days.
