Moldova imprisons Euroskeptic regional president
(MENAFN) A Moldovan court has sentenced Evgenia Gutsul, the head of the autonomous Gagauzia region, to seven years in prison on charges of illegally financing the banned, Euroskeptic SOR party. The case, which Gutsul says is politically driven, also included accusations that she paid participants to join anti-government protests organized by the party in 2022.
According to the verdict, Gutsul received campaign funds from an organized criminal network and redirected them to SOR, which was outlawed in 2023. She was also ordered to pay a fine of 40 million Moldovan lei (about $2.3 million) to the state.
Svetlana Popan, formerly a secretary at SOR’s central office, received a six-year prison sentence in connection with the same case. Both sentences are subject to appeal.
Gutsul's lawyer, Sergiu Moraru, denounced the proceedings, saying, “This isn’t a trial—it’s a public execution,” and claimed the charges were baseless.
The court’s decision sparked demonstrations outside the courthouse. Supporters of Gutsul protested, chanting slogans against Moldovan President Maia Sandu, while a counter-demonstration prompted police to enforce a security barrier.
Gutsul, elected in 2023 as Gagauzia’s leader on the SOR ticket, is known for advocating closer ties with Russia—opposing the pro-European policies of President Sandu’s administration. She has frequently alleged that the Moldovan government is using legal pressure to remove her from office because of her political stance and efforts to aid her constituents.
Russia has harshly criticized the ruling, portraying it as a case of Moldova embracing “European anti-values” and suppressing dissent.
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