Evghenia Guțul, the leader of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, has appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to exert pressure on the central authorities of Moldova to secure her release. In a statement published on her Telegram channel through her lawyers, Guțul said that she is appealing to Putin in the name of the Gagauzian people, who have never betrayed their historical friends, to use diplomatic, political and legal mechanisms to pressure the Moldovan authorities to release her and end the political persecution immediately.
Guțul was detained at the Chișinău airport on March 25 for 72 hours and the Kremlin condemned the detention. According to the Moldovan National Center for Anti-Corruption, the prosecution intends to request imprisonment for Guțul on charges of violating electoral campaign procedures, illegal financing of candidates and document forgery in connection with the 2023 Gagauzia elections. Guțul denied the charges, claiming that the case was initiated on the orders of Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
Guțul was appointed as the leader of Gagauzia in the spring of 2023 after winning the elections as a candidate of the opposition party Șor. Subsequently, the Moldovan authorities declared the party unconstitutional, accused it of illegal financing and launched criminal proceedings against its leaders. The Chișinău authorities also began reviewing the election results.