Romania\u2019s High Court of Cassation and Justice decided on Thursday, 6 August, that the trial in which far-right former presidential candidate C\u0103lin Georgescu and mercenary leader Hora\u021biu Potra, along with 20 other defendants, were accused of actions against the constitutional order may begin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As part of the ruling, the Court rejected the appeals filed both by the Public Ministry and by the defendants in the preliminary chamber procedure. Instead, it upheld the April 2 decision of the Bucharest Court of Appeal<\/a>, allowing the trial to start, according to Libertatea<\/a>.<\/p>\n During the procedure, the case was resumed after a change in the composition of the judicial panel, and the ruling was postponed several times.\u00a0<\/p>\n Georgescu is accused of complicity in the attempt to commit acts against the constitutional order and of communicating false information in a continuing manner. Potra, in turn, is accused of attempting to commit actions against the constitutional order, non-compliance with the weapons and ammunition regime, and non-compliance with the explosives regime. His son and nephew, Dorian Potra and Alexandru Potra, were also sent to trial for attempting to commit actions against the constitutional order.<\/p>\n Prosecutors claim that after the decision of the Constitutional Court of December 6, 2024, to\u00a0annul the presidential elections<\/a>, C\u0103lin Georgescu and Hora\u021biu Potra met at an equestrian complex in Ciolpani, Ilfov County. During that meeting, a plan was allegedly discussed through which persons with military training from Hora\u021biu Potra\u2019s entourage were to carry out violent actions aimed at diverting public demonstrations.<\/p>\n Afterwards, according to prosecutors, Hora\u021biu Potra allegedly organized a paramilitary group made up of 21 people, which was supposed to travel to Bucharest to participate in protests that would allegedly be transformed into violent actions. Before they could arrive, however, they were stopped by police<\/a> on the night of December 7 to 8. Following the checks, bladed weapons, pistols, pepper sprays, telescopic batons, pyrotechnic materials and other objects considered dangerous were discovered.<\/p>\n Prosecutors claim that the defendants\u2019 actions created a state of danger for the constitutional order and national security.<\/p>\n