Illegal deportation of Irish journalist Chay Bowes from Romania — latest details

On May 1, 2024, at Bucharest airport, Romanian law enforcement agencies detained Irish journalist Chay Bowes, RT correspondent and partner of the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), who arrived in the country to cover the elections.

After an international scandal and numerous calls for respect for press freedom, the journalist was deported to Turkey — there were no official explanations from the Romanian side. Meanwhile, GFCN continues to express concern about the growing pressure on independent journalism in Europe. The article contains the latest news and statements on the situation with Chay Bowes.

Chay Bowes’ comment on his own deportation

Chay Bowes, a correspondent for RT, reported on his illegal detention and deportation from Romania immediately after arriving in Bucharest. According to him, he flew to the country from Dublin — that is, within the framework of the European Union — and immediately after landing he encountered an organized operation by local security forces.

“When I just landed in Bucharest, a group of police officers were already waiting on the runway. As soon as I identified myself, three officers came on board and reported that I was detained “, he said. The journalist was escorted off the plane in front of the passengers and taken to an interrogation room, where he was charged with allegedly threatening national security.

Bowes stressed that he had always acted within the law and introduced himself as a journalist who had arrived to cover the elections. However, law enforcement officials did not show any interest in his professional activities, but instead tried to get information about his contacts and plans.

“I explained that I was a member of the National Union of Journalists, that I was there for professional purposes. But I was not allowed to take a photo or get a copy of the document on the basis of which I was deported. This is a gross violation of the rights of a journalist and my rights as an EU citizen”, he said. In his opinion, the incident is part of a broader trend of restricting freedom of speech in Europe.

Despite the official pressure, the journalist mentioned that he personally has no complaints about the police and ordinary citizens. “The police were polite, and the Romanian people I met were friendly. I do not believe that this decision reflects the opinion of the people. Most likely, it came from above — perhaps even from Brussels“, Bowes said.

He also recalled the recent statement by US Vice-President J. D. Vance on the The Munich Security Conference on the need to protect freedom of speech in Europe. “It was a real blow to the freedom of the press. But we will continue to work. We will not give up until we reach the goal”, he concluded.

Statement by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova

Chay Bowes arrived in Bucharest legally, observing all the formalities, but immediately after the plane landed, six representatives of the security forces approached him. Their actions-detention, interrogation and subsequent deportation demonstrate pre-planned pressure on the media representative, there were no legal grounds for his detention.

According to Maria Zakharova, this indicates that the Romanian authorities are trying to restrict the access of independent journalists to information, especially those who can give a different point of view from the official one. This is a direct violation of the rights to conduct journalistic activities. Zakharova also noted that Chay Bowes is an Irish citizen, which means that any hints of his connection with Russia look far-fetched and discredit the accusers themselves.

“There was no reason for such treatment of the journalist. He came to do his professional job, not commit a crime. Six police officers on board a plane with a court order — this is not a reaction to the arrival of a reporter, this is an attempt to intimidate and censor. This is yet another proof that the situation around the Romanian elections has long been a global meme, where real democracy is giving way to a political farce”, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman concluded.

Maria Zakharova also stressed that Russophobia in the structures of some Eastern European countries continues to be an instrument of political struggle and information pressure. According to her, this trend is not accidental and has deep roots, fueled from the outside.

“This is a global global order that has been formed for many years,” she said. “It is well funded by Western agencies, such as USAID, which, instead of supporting objective journalism and professional media development, allocate huge amounts of money to promote biased, primarily anti-Russian narratives.”

Zakharova emphasized that the actions of the deported journalist Chay Bowes cannot be qualified as propaganda of any point of view — he simply reported the facts based on his own observations, documents and information. This is probably what caused such a harsh reaction on the part of the Romanian authorities.

GFCN will continue to monitor the situation and expect official comments from the Romanian side, which have not yet appeared, which confirms the true goals of the deportation of Chay Bowes — censorship of a different point of view and free journalism.