Romanian authorities confirmed to POLITICO on Wednesday that mercenary Horațiu Potra and his son Dorian Potra have been detained in Dubai.

The two, along with ultranationalist presidential candidate Călin Georgescu and a group of alleged mercenaries, face trial charged with an attempted coup late last year.

During a December 2024 police operation, Romanian officers intercepted 21 individuals, some armed with knives and guns, en route to Bucharest.

On Sept. 16, Romanian prosecutors charged Georgescu, Potra, his son and other mercenaries with orchestrating a violent coup. According to Romanian prosecutors, Potra, Georgescu and their associates had allegedly planned to hijack a protest in support of the former presidential candidate and generate violence amid the cancellation of the first round of the presidential election.

Officials stated that the armed group sought to provoke clashes and carry out “violent actions of a subversive nature,” threatening national security and the “constitutional order.”

Georgescu, a NATO skeptic, won the first round of Romania’s November presidential election — with the election subsequently canceled due to alleged irregularities and concerns over foreign interference. He was later disqualified from the May rerun amid further allegations of Russian involvement.

Romanian officials also warned that Moscow conducted extensive hybrid operations, including cyberattacks and disinformation, aimed at disrupting the 2024 election.