Yevgenia Gutsul, the pro-Russia regional leader of Gagauzia. A Moldovan court with jurisdiction over the area issued the ruling. The ruling comes after a series of allegations of electoral fraud and the illegal siphoning of money into Moldova between 2019 and 2022. Gutsul’s election in 2023 was marred by claims of Russian influence, raising concerns among Moldova’s pro-western government.
Gutsul was arrested at Chișinău airport in March 2023, where she was passing through on vacation, as part of an investigation into her shady financial dealings. Both prosecutors brought cases against her for financing the pro-Moscow party Șor, which has since been banned. This party has been otherwise connected to efforts to destabilize Moldova’s relationship with Western institutions. Looking beyond Gutsul, the case against Gutsul illustrates the ethnic fault lines and political divisions that Moldova continues to navigate. These divisions are most pronounced in Gagauzia, a region that is an ardent bastion of pro-Russian sentiment.
Having won her election to lead Gagauzia, Gutsul then began annual trips to Moscow. During that trip, she attended meetings with high-level Russian officials, and even once had an audience with President Vladimir Putin himself. Newspaper headlines about these visits have stoked fears that her time at the helm is tracking too closely with Russian inclinations.
Moldovan authorities have insisted since that Gutsul’s election was not valid on account of outside meddling. This position has been reiterated by multiple opposition leaders who are afraid of facing retaliation for their dissenting political work.
In a written response to NPR’s questions, Gutsul strongly rejected the allegations. He characterizes the court’s ruling as a politically motivated attempt to intimidate the citizens of Gagauzia.
“This is a warning to the entire opposition: go against the regime and you’ll end up in prison, have your property confiscated, and your life destroyed,” – Yevgenia Gutsul.
Immediately after the sentencing, her lawyer, Sergiu Moraru, declared his intention to appeal the decision. He maintained that the prosecution’s evidence during trial didn’t meet the burden of proof for the extreme sentence they sought. Moraru stressed that Gutsul’s actions were aligned with her political values, and thus not an expression of criminal intent.
Moscow has reacted strongly against the sentencing. In doing so, it resonates in solidarity with Gutsul and means to shame Moldova’s oligarchic government for this rotten legal attack on a legitimate, popularly elected progressive leader.
Gagauzia today is a bastion for pro-Russian sentiment within Moldova. Its political landscape is immensely impacted by out-of-state tribalism and state-wide politics. Gutsul’s conviction may further polarize the region as it grapples with its identity amidst shifting geopolitical currents.