Alexandru Balan, accused of treason in Romania, remains in custody

IPN.md

11 February 2026
17:11

Alexandru Balan, former deputy director of the Information and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova, arrested five months ago for the alleged disclosure to the KGB of Belarus of state secrets related to Romania, remains in the custody of Romanian authorities. The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest rejected Balan’s request to challenge the preventive arrest measure on Wednesday, extending it until February 27, reports IPN.

The former deputy chief of the SIS was arrested on September 8, 2025, in Timișoara, being accused of disclosing state secrets about Romania to KGB officers from Belarus. According to the investigation, Alexandru Balan met with them in Budapest, during the period 2024-2025, where instructions would have been transmitted and payments made for the services provided.

The Chief Prosecutor of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism in Romania, Alina Albu, recently stated to IPN that the criminal trial is in the investigation phase, and the indictment is expected to be issued in February. Alina Albu clarified that Alexandru Balan is being investigated as a Romanian citizen, given the fact that he holds dual citizenship, Moldovan and Romanian.

Alexandru Balan arrest Belarus Custody DIICOT Romania SIS The High Court of Cassation and Justice

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The exhibition “Urban Archaeology and the Hidden Memory of Chisinau” continues /National Museum of History of Moldova /July 17-November 30/.

The contemporary art exhibition-competition continues: The Municipal Salon within the “Te salut, Chisinau!” Festival, 6th edition, dedicated to the 590th anniversary of the city /Constantin Brâncuși Exhibition Center /July 8-26/.

The documentary exhibition “Echo from the past, for present and future” continues, dedicated to the memory of the victims of Stalinist deportations and one of the most tragic episodes in the history of Bessarabia /BNRM /July 3-August 3/.

The exhibition “The Thread of Identity! The traditional Romanian costume in book illustrations made by plastic artists from the Republic of Moldova” continues /BNRM /June 25-August 15/.

The graphic exhibition by Lica Sainciuc continues, opened as part of the Creative Industries Festival /Lutnita Gallery /June 5 – July 31/.

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Alexandru Balan, accused of treason in Romania, remains in custody

IPN.md

11 February 2026
17:11

Alexandru Balan arrest Belarus Custody DIICOT Romania SIS The High Court of Cassation and Justice

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by Editor Editor 19.07.2026

Users from several countries reported connection issues with Facebook on Sunday. The number of reports rapidly increased during the morning, suggesting a possible widespread malfunction, according to the Downdetector platform, quoted by IPN.

According to reports in the international press, users are experiencing difficulties with authentication, loading the news feed, and using some features of the social network. It is not yet clear whether other services of the Meta company are also affected.

In Moldova, there are issues with browser connectivity, but access through the application is possible. Until this time, Meta company has not provided an explanation for the cause of the incident nor a timeline for its resolution. In the absence of an official confirmation, the exact extent of the disruption remains unclear.

The Downdetector platform monitors online service interruptions and centralizes user reports and other data regarding their functionality. A sudden increase in notifications usually indicates the existence of a technical problem.

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