Europe rights court rejects appeal of Romania vote annulment / Photo: Daniel MIHAILESCU - AFP
Europe rights court rejects appeal of Romania vote annulment
Europe's top rights court on Tuesday rejected far-right candidate Calin Georgescu's appeal of a Romanian court decision to annul the 2024 presidential election after he won the first round amid claims of Russian interference.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said it rejected the request by Georgescu for the urgent ruling as "it fell outside of the scope" of the court's ability to issue such a measure to reverse the annulment of the election process.
The previously little-known Georgescu shot to prominence overnight on TikTok, drawing a European Union probe of the social media platform.
He has denounced the vote annulment as a "formalised coup d'etat".
Georgescu had asked the ECHR to issue a so-called interim measure, an urgent ruling which the court only issues on an exceptional basis, when the applicants would otherwise face an imminent risk of irreparable harm.
"Mr Georgescu's request did not concern an imminent risk of irreparable harm," the court said in its explanation of the rejection.
The Romanian government has ordered a totally fresh presidential vote with first round on May 4 and a second on May 18 if no first-round candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote.
Romania's Constitutional Court cancelled the presidential elections after intelligence documents declassified by the president's office listed "aggressive Russian hybrid actions", including cyberattacks.
The documents also detailed the massive promotion of Georgescu on social media in the run-up to the vote.
Georgescu -- a past admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin and NATO critic, who has recently reframed himself as "ultra pro" US President Donald Trump -- has denied any links to Moscow.
F.M.Ferrentino--PV
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