PRAGUE – Moldovan authorities barred and deported Czech MEP Ondřej Dostál over national security concerns, linking his planned appearance at a pro-Russian event to efforts to undermine the country’s democracy.
Dostál was due to speak in Chisinau at the “Make Europe Great Again” (M.E.G.A.) conference organised by pro-Russian Moldovan opposition figures. His diplomatic passport was temporarily withheld before he was deported to Romania, from where he later addressed the event online.
“There’s a first time for everything. Even for being deported, as an MEP, from an EU candidate country,” Dostál said on X late on Sunday.
Authorities also denied entry to US conservative activist Brian Brown and Dimos Tchanasoulas, spokesperson for Greece’s far-right party Niki. Brown was held in detention for several hours before being allowed in, while Tchanasoulas remained at the airport.
In a video posted on X, Dostál suggested his deportation may have been linked to past criticism of EU leaders and alleged interference in national sovereignty. “All of that could have been the reason why my colleagues from the United States and Greece and I were not allowed in,” he said. “I think this is quite a scandal,” he added.
Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) later confirmed multiple entry bans, saying the event lacked transparency and alleged links to the Shor criminal group, which is tied to fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor and accused of working to destabilise Moldova with Russian backing.
“These actions are part of a broader spectrum of hybrid actions undertaken by Russia,” SIS warned, urging public figures to exercise caution before engaging in such events.