Romanian court upholds measures against presidential election frontrunner in probe

(Reuters) - A Romanian court upheld preventative measures against Calin Georgescu, the far-right frontrunner of Romania's cancelled presidential election, on Thursday pending a criminal investigation on charges that include promoting antisemitism.

Prosecutors formally opened the criminal investigation last month on six counts including membership of a fascist organisation, promoting war criminals and fascist organisations, and communicating false information about campaign financing.

Georgescu denied all wrongdoing.

A Bucharest district court rejected his challenge to preventative measures as being "unfounded".

The investigation came after Romania's top court voided the presidential election in December amid accusations of Russian interference - which Moscow denied.

Georgescu is subject to preventative measures including an obligation not to leave the country, not to bear firearms and not to post xenophobic or antisemitic content on social media.

Also on Thursday the European Court of Human Rights said it has rejected a challenge by Georgescu against the cancelled election, after rejecting a prior claim in January.

Georgescu remains voters' top choice in opinion polls ahead of a planned rerun of the presidential election in May, although it remains unclear whether he will be allowed to run at all.

He has praised Romania's 1930s fascist leaders as patriots and martyrs.

The promotion of fascist leaders and Nazi, racist or xenophobic symbols is banned in Romania and carries a prison sentence, although cases only rarely made it to court prior to the voided election.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk have criticised Romania for cancelling the election. However, German, French and Dutch ambassadors expressed support for Romania and the independence of its courts.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie and Alan Charlish; Editing by Frances Kerry)