The Guardian has learned that individuals with Kremlin ties are making a last-ditch effort to stop the extradition from Dubai of a Romanian-French mercenary, Horațiu Potra, who is wanted in Romania for allegedly planning a coup.
Potra, a former French Foreign Legion soldier with a mysterious background, was arrested at Dubai airport on September 24 along with his son and nephew as they were about to board a flight to Moscow. Romanian authorities have accused them of conspiring with Potra’s ally, far-right politician Călin Georgescu, to overthrow the government.
Romanian officials confirmed Potra’s arrest and are collaborating with UAE authorities to extradite him for trial in Romania. The country’s general prosecutor has stated that Potra is believed to be seeking asylum in Russia.
Leading the effort to prevent his extradition are Igor Spivak, head of the Russian Middle East Society—a group with close links to Russia’s foreign ministry—and Alexander Kalinin, a Moldovan-born Russian supporter who fled to Moscow and is now recruiting Moldovans to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
In a Monday phone interview, Spivak said, “We are currently trying to stop Potra’s extradition. We have a lot of experience, and a lot of people are working on getting him freed.” He mentioned hiring a team of reputable lawyers in the UAE to secure Potra’s release and plans to travel to Dubai himself.
Earlier this month, Potra’s lawyers attempted to have the Romanian arrest warrant canceled, but a judge rejected the request.
This development highlights Potra’s connections to Moscow. Clean-shaven and muscular, he served in the French Foreign Legion before working as a bodyguard for leaders, including the emir of Qatar. He later founded several private military companies, sending personnel to conflicts in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. His career and appearance have led to comparisons with the late Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin.
In January, about 300 of Potra’s fighters were captured by the M23 paramilitary group in DRC while supporting government forces, but were later released and sent home.
Recently, Potra gained attention in Romania as a close associate of the ultra-nationalist, pro-Russian politician Georgescu. Georgescu, a 63-year-old former environmental engineer, unexpectedly won the first round of Romania’s presidential election last November. However, the constitutional court annulled the result just before the second round, citing allegations of Russian interference.
In early December, Potra and around two dozen associates were briefly detained in Romania after being intercepted on their way to Bucharest, allegedly to organize violent protests following the election annulment. Investigators later found illegal weapons and large amounts of cash at several of his homes.
According to prosecution documents reviewed by the Guardian, Romanian prosecutors claim that Georgescu met with Potra and his group at a horse farm in December, after his election victory was overturned, to plan a violent takeover. Georgescu initially denied meeting Potra but changed his story after photos of them together appeared in the Romanian media. He insists that no plans for an uprising were discussed.
Potra has previously denied any ties to Russia, but evidence including photos, hotel bookings, and flight tickets attached to the prosecution file show he met Russia’s ambassador to Romania, Valery Kuzmin, at a National Day event at the Russian embassy and frequently traveled to Moscow.
Prosecutors also included photos showing the partner of Georgescu’s bodyguard posing with Chechen fighters and expressing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin in social media comments. The bodyguard had previously fought in conflicts.As a mercenary working for Potra in Congo, he also attended the December meeting at the horse ranch with Georgescu. Potra is charged in Romania with tax evasion on income from his mercenary work in Africa, as well as illegally funding Georgescu’s campaign by providing cash and paying for a luxury limousine’s monthly rental. These allegations are supported by text messages and invoices in the prosecutor’s file.
In an August 2024 text message cited by prosecutors, Georgescu wrote to Potra: “Maybe we can meet at the end of next week, starting Friday afternoon. The elections are on November 24. Please, I need support until then.”
The Romanian ministry of justice and the general prosecutor’s office have not commented on the matter.
The level of Moscow’s direct involvement is still uncertain. A source familiar with the situation stated that Russian authorities had approved Spivak and Kalinin’s efforts to secure Potra’s release.
Although Spivak claimed his involvement was independent, his Russian Middle East Society—an NGO that portrays itself as a human rights group—has worked closely with the Russian foreign ministry. Spivak has frequently co-hosted events with the ministry and recently organized an art exhibition in Moscow featuring works by Aisha Gaddafi, daughter of the former Libyan leader, with the ministry’s support.
“The ministry, of course, supports us. It would be hard to deny that,” Spivak said, noting that his organization includes many former foreign ministry staff and ambassadors.
Spivak became involved at the request of Kalinin, the former leader of Moldova’s pro-Russian Party of Regions, who fled to Russia and has been recruiting Moldovans to fight in Ukraine. Kalinin, who lost his Moldovan citizenship and now holds a Russian passport, is under EU and US sanctions for activities aimed at destabilizing Moldova as a Kremlin ally. He has also pledged to lead fighters in an assault on Chișinău to overthrow President Maia Sandu’s pro-western government.
An anonymous Moldovan official told the Guardian that Kalinin is “a Russian proxy, probably connected to their secret service.”
Kalinin did not respond to requests for comment, but the Guardian has seen text messages where he discusses efforts to free Potra from jail.
Spivak said he planned to fly to Dubai on Wednesday to meet Potra but admitted their attempt to stop the extradition was struggling. He believes the mercenary could be sent back to Romania as early as Thursday, adding, “The situation is difficult.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Russian agents working to prevent the extradition of a mercenary charged with planning a coup with clear and concise answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is this story about in simple terms
A mercenary has been arrested in a foreign country and is accused of planning to overthrow a government That country wants to send him to face trial but Russian officials are trying hard to stop that from happening
2 What is a mercenary
A mercenary is a professional soldier who is paid to fight in a conflict by a foreign party rather than serving in their own countrys official army
3 What does extradition mean
Extradition is the formal process where one country surrenders a person accused or convicted of a crime to another country where the crime was committed or where they are wanted for trial
4 Why would Russia want to stop this extradition
Governments often try to prevent their citizens especially those with sensitive knowledge from being tried in foreign courts This is to protect state secrets avoid political embarrassment and maintain control over the narrative
5 What is a coup
A coup is a sudden violent and illegal seizure of power from a government typically carried out by a small group of military or political insiders
Intermediate Advanced Questions
6 What methods might these Russian agents use to prevent extradition
They could use a combination of legal political and covert methods including
Legal Challenges Hiring expensive lawyers to exploit every loophole in the extradition treaty and the host countrys legal system
Political Pressure Using diplomacy threats or promises of trade deals to influence the government deciding on the extradition
Disinformation Spreading false narratives to discredit the charges or the country seeking extradition
Covert Action This could range from bribing officials to more aggressive tactics to intimidate witnesses or even help the mercenary escape
7 What is an extradition treaty and how does it work
An extradition treaty is a formal agreement between two countries that outlines the conditions under which one country will surrender a fugitive to the other Most treaties
