Irish journalist and RT correspondent Chay Bowes reportedly arrested in Romania
IRISH JOURNALIST and RT correspondent Chay Bowes has reportedly been arrested in Romania.
RT, formerly Russia Today, is reporting that Bowes had travelled to Romania ahead of its presidential election on Sunday.
The upcoming election is a
rerun after November elections were cancelled amid allegations of Russian interference in favour of far-right candidate Calin Georgescu
, who is barred from the new vote.
RT has reported that Bowes was 'detained' in Bucharest after landing there to cover the election.
Speaking on RT, Afshin Rattansi said he understands that Bowes is 'being released on his way to Istanbul'.
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However, RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan later posted on X to say that Bowes had been 'deported from Romania, and placed on a flight out of the EU to Istanbul'.
BREAKING: Our correspondent Chay Bowes has now been deported from Romania, and placed on a flight out of the EU to Istanbul.
Chay is Irish, and while an EU country can refuse entry to another EU citizen under extreme conditions, he has to be a threat to "public policy, security…
pic.twitter.com/xy5szjYUTj
— Margarita Simonyan (@M_Simonyan)
May 1, 2025
Simonyan posted: 'Chay is Irish, and while an EU country can refuse entry to another EU citizen under extreme conditions, he has to be a threat to 'public policy, security or health'.
'Chay committed no crime other than his professional plans to cover the Romanian election for us.
'Once again, Romania proves itself the authoritarians' testing ground for a future Europe.'
The Department of Foreign Affairs has been approached for comment.
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