Russias Involvement in Bid to Halt Extradition of Romanian Mercenary Accused of Coup – The Guardian

Two individuals with ties to Russia are attempting to block the extradition of Horațiu Potra, a Romanian-French mercenary who is currently detained in Dubai on allegations of conspiring to orchestrate a coup in Romania, as reported by The Guardian on Wednesday.

Potra, a former member of the French Foreign Legion and founder of private military companies operating in Africa, was arrested at Dubai International Airport on September 24 while he was preparing to travel to Moscow.

Romanian prosecutors have accused him of plotting to overthrow the government and install far-right politician Călin Georgescu, whose victory in the 2024 elections was invalidated by the Constitutional Court due to suspicions of Russian interference.

Igor Spivak, the head of the Russian Middle Eastern Society linked to Moscow, and Igor Kalinin, a Moldovan politician facing Western sanctions, are spearheading the efforts to prevent Potra’s extradition, according to The Guardian.

A source familiar with the matter informed the newspaper that Russian officials had «authorized» the two men to take action.

Romania’s attorney general mentioned in local media that Potra might have been attempting to seek asylum in Russia.

However, the extent of Moscow’s involvement in this situation remains uncertain, as noted by The Guardian.