(MENAFN) The European Council has announced sanctions against seven individuals and three organizations in Moldova connected to exiled opposition figure Ilan Shor. The measures, unveiled on Tuesday, target Shor’s close allies, whom Brussels accuses of trying to destabilize the EU candidate nation.

Shor, an Israeli-born businessman and founder of the now-banned Euroskeptic SOR party, currently leads the Victory opposition bloc. He fled Moldova in 2019 following a major banking fraud scandal. Stripped of his Moldovan citizenship, he was later sentenced in absentia to a lengthy prison term. Shor claims the charges are politically motivated. He was sanctioned by the EU in 2023 and gained Russian citizenship the following year.

The European Council has also blacklisted the Victory bloc itself, accusing it of disseminating false information and engaging in vote-buying. Two more entities were sanctioned over alleged election meddling. Those named are subject to asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on receiving funds or economic resources from within the EU. With these additions, EU sanctions now apply to 23 individuals and five entities in Moldova.

In June, Moldova saw violent clashes between riot police and Orthodox Christian demonstrators during an anti-LGBTQ protest. While President Maia Sandu’s government continues to push for deeper integration with the EU, conservative and religious groups have voiced growing opposition to what they perceive as foreign efforts to impose liberal values.

Sandu’s administration defends the crackdowns as necessary to counter alleged Russian interference, branding opposition parties and media as criminal organizations. Moscow has rejected accusations of meddling, calling them politically motivated and unfounded.

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