Romanian court moves mercenary Horațiu Potra from pre-trial detention to house arrest in alleged coup plot case

Romania's High Court of Cassation and Justice has ordered the release of mercenary Horațiu Potra from pre-trial detention and placed him under house arrest for 30 days, local news agency Agerpres reported. Potra is one of the main defendants in a case involving an alleged plot to destabilize Romania following the annulment of the 2024 presidential election.

In the final ruling issued on Wednesday, June 17, the court replaced Potra's preventive detention measure with house arrest, effective until July 16. Judges also ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and banned him from possessing or carrying weapons.

Horațiu Potra has been in custody since November 2025, when he was brought back to Romania from Dubai together with his son and nephew.

The former mercenary was indicted by prosecutors on charges including attempted actions against the constitutional order, illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, violations related to explosives and pyrotechnic materials, and public incitement. He is being tried alongside about 20 alleged members of his group and former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu.

The prosecutors alleged that Potra and his associates planned to infiltrate protests that erupted after Romania's 2024 presidential election was annulled, with the aim of creating unrest and violent confrontations. Investigators claimed the plan was discussed at a meeting attended by Georgescu and close associates shortly after the election was canceled.

According to the indictment, Horațiu Potra coordinated efforts to bring a group of mercenaries to Bucharest and sought to escalate demonstrations into actions that could destabilize the constitutional order.

The case remains before the courts, while the decision to place Potra under house arrest is final.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)