Former Prosecutor General of Romania, Augustin Lazăr, told Euronews that former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu risks between 10 and 20 years in prison if he will be found guilty of complicity in the coup attempt.
Calin Georgescu/Photo: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea
On Tuesday, September 16, Călin Georgescu, Horațiu Potra and 20 other people were sued in a complex file instrumented by prosecutors, being accused of attempted coup.
Former candidate for presidential elections Călin Georgescu is accused of complicity in the attempt to commit actions against the constitutional order and communication of false information.
Horațiu Potra is accused of attempt to commit actions against the constitutional order, non -observance of the weapons and ammunition regime, any operations with pyrotechnic articles performed without law and public instigation.
The Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism Offenses – the central structure took over complicity investigations to attempted actions against the constitutional order, a fact provided by art. 48 Criminal code related to art. 32 and 412 para. 2 Criminal code, with reference to art. 397 para. 2 Criminal code, detained by the ordinance of August 26, 2025.
“Complicity, first we must keep in mind that this is a serious offense against state security”
Augustin Lazăr explained for Euronews Romania, which means complicity in the coup attempt, the act for which Călin Georgescu was sent to court.
Augustin Lazăr/Photo: Inquam Photos/George Călin
“Complicity, first we must keep in mind that it is a serious offense against the security of the state, it is the crime of actions against the constitutional order, and in our case, from the data made available by the Public Ministry, it turns out that it is in the form of attempt.
It was tried to execute it, but it was interrupted for reasons independent of the will of the perpetrators.
What we can understand from what our colleagues say about the complicity is that the defendant who was a candidate for the presidential elections would have helped with the intention of facilitating, in any way, to commit a deed provided by the criminal law, respectively to this attempt against the constitutional order.”, Declared Augustin Lazăr.
The university professor adds that, according to public data, “This defendant would have made a contribution to the creation of a program that was implemented by other persons who had military training. ”
“Fortunately, the execution was interrupted by the intervention of the authorities as a result of a call to the national warning system 112”, Said the former prosecutor of Romania.
“The sanctions are very severe”
According to him, the sanctions are “very severe”, so Georgescu risks a prison sentence from 10 to 20 years.
“The sanctions are very severe, the sanctions set out for this crime, but we must keep in mind that (…) from what we noticed in the public mystery, it is in the second paragraph, where the sanction is from 10 to 20 years.
These are violent actions, directed against persons or goods in order to affect, to injure the constitutional order. It is sanctioned from 10 to 20 years and the prohibition of the exercise of any rights ”Lazarus said.
Former Attorney General compares Georgescu's file with that of the 1989 Revolution
Augustin Lazăr compares the file concerning Călin Georgescu with that of the 1989 Revolution, as “In the process of the revolutionary folk movement, a coup that overlapped was held.”
“At the 1989 Revolution, in the process of the revolutionary folk movement there was a coup that was superimposed, which was executed by a group of military and civilians. They took over the power.
That coup, as our colleagues tell us, the military prosecutors, was also inspired by the East and was executed as it has been seen, so that the revolutionary movement does not develop too much in Romania. That is, it was a revolution between certain limits that were accepted by the neighbors from the east”, Detaled Augustin Lazăr.
“Four companies were identified with links with the Russian Federation that carried out actions during the election campaign”
It specifies that they have been identified “Four companies with links with the Russian Federation that carried out actions during the election campaign, against Romania and the elections of 2024 ”. The teacher points out that the beneficiary of this campaign is “The independent candidate in the elections of 2024. ”
“In such situations, I believe that DIICOT continues the investigations it does to solve the file section that concerns the cyber space and the attacks against Romania, the part of actions against the constitutional order, carried out the aggression in the cyber environment.”, Said Augustin Lazăr.
