RT reporter breaks silence following deportation from Romania
(MENAFN) RT journalist Chay Bowes has spoken out after being deported from Romania, where authorities labeled him a national security threat. The Irish reporter was removed from a flight that had just landed in Bucharest on Thursday, where he had planned to cover the upcoming presidential election re-run. Later that day, he was placed on a flight to Istanbul.
According to Bowes, shortly after his arrival in Bucharest, police officers boarded the aircraft and asked the crew to identify him. Upon confirming his identity, he was told by officers that he was being detained. Passengers reportedly looked on in shock as he was escorted off the plane for questioning.
During the initial questioning in a vehicle, police asked Bowes about his destination and who he planned to meet. He said he explained he was there as a journalist to cover the election but refused to name any sources or contacts. He was then taken to a separate interrogation room and shown a document that, according to him, was signed by a judge. The paper stated he was being expelled due to posing a threat to Romania’s national security. Authorities did not permit him to keep or photograph the document.
Bowes condemned the incident as a serious violation of journalistic and EU citizen rights, stating that he had entered the country lawfully and solely for professional reporting purposes. “This is really quite shocking,” he said after landing in Istanbul.
The Romanian presidential election is set for two rounds on May 4 and May 18, following a court decision to annul the results of the initial vote in November 2024. That round had been won by independent candidate Calin Georgescu, who is known for his criticism of NATO and opposition to arming Ukraine. However, Romania’s Constitutional Court overturned the results, citing irregularities and intelligence reports about alleged Russian interference—claims that Moscow has denied.
Subsequent reports revealed that a controversial TikTok campaign influencing the election was not linked to Russia, but rather funded by the pro-EU National Liberal Party, which has dominated Romanian politics for decades. One of its leading figures, Nicolae Ciuca, had lost in the November vote.
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