Chay Bowes, Moscow-Based Reporter, Detained in Romania

Chay Bowes, a journalist based in Moscow, was detained at Bucharest Airport upon arrival to cover Romania’s upcoming presidential elections, scheduled for Sunday.

According to RT, Romanian authorities boarded the plane and escorted Bowes away for questioning shortly after landing. It remains unclear whether Bowes, an Irish citizen, is still in custody.

The presidential election was originally held in November but was annulled by Romania’s Constitutional Court following allegations by the government that the winner, Călin Georgescu benefited from a TikTok campaign allegedly financed by Russia.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the online campaign was actually funded by the Romanian National Liberal Party (PNL). Georgescu is now facing a criminal investigation and has been barred from running in Sunday’s re-election.