The detention of RT correspondent Chay Bowes in Bucharest proves to the entire world that the upcoming Romanian election is a “meme,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told RT in a phone interview on Thursday.
Bowes was detained by the Romanian authorities on Thursday after his plane landed in Bucharest. He was traveling from Ireland to Romania to cover the upcoming presidential election. The vote is a re-run, since the election first round was controversially annulled last year following a surprise win by NATO-skeptic independent candidate Calin Georgescu.
“The Romanian election really is a meme,” Zakharova told RT when asked to comment on Bowes’ detention.
The RT correspondent was arrested despite “not having violated anything, having followed all formal procedures and having crossed the border legally,” she said.
Romanian security personnel were on hand to arrest him before he even exited the plane, she added.
News company controlled by government with unfair elections accuses other country of having unfair elections
They aren’t lying, though:
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”.