Moldovan area refuses sentencing of regional Euroskeptic chief

(MENAFN) The parliament of Gagauzia, an autonomous Russian-speaking region in Moldova, has condemned the recent seven-year prison sentence handed to its local Euroskeptic leader, calling the verdict illegal and politically motivated.

Evgenia Gutsul, elected in 2023 and a strong advocate for closer ties with Russia, was convicted of funneling illegal funds from a criminal group to the banned Euroskeptic SOR party and financing protests against Moldova’s government. Gutsul denied the charges, labeling the trial a “political execution” orchestrated “from above.” The verdict sparked protests outside the courthouse against Moldova’s pro-Western authorities.

In a resolution issued Thursday, Gagauzia’s People’s Assembly and Executive Committee formally rejected the court’s ruling, describing it as a politically motivated effort to remove the region’s legally elected leader. They called the sentence “political reprisal” and “an act of vengeance” undermining Gagauzia’s autonomy.

The regional authorities held Moldova’s government fully responsible for destabilizing the situation, suggesting the crackdown aims to influence the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for late September.

Moscow also condemned the verdict, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denouncing it as an attack on democracy and labeling the case “fabricated” and lacking credible evidence. She described the ruling as the peak of repression by the Chisinau regime against Gagauzia’s autonomy.

MENAFN10082025000045015687ID1109908031