A Moldovan Court of Appeals Denies Bail to Gagauzian Leader
According to a correspondent of RIA Novosti, the judges of the appeals court in Chisinau have rejected a bail application for the head of the Gagauzian government, Evghenia Guțul.
The judge’s panel has decided that Guțul will remain in custody for 20 days, said the politician’s lawyer, Sergei Moraru, outside the courtroom.
The lawyer stated that the charges against the “Baschkan” (the head of the autonomous region, traditionally referred to as the president) are politically motivated.
Protesters from the supporters of the head of the autonomous region and the opposition “Pobeda” alliance, demanding the release of Guțul, continue to gather in front of the court building.
Guțul’s Arrest
On March 25, the head of the Gagauzian government was taken from the Chisinau airport to the National Anticorruption Center, where a 72-hour detention was announced (RT DE reported).
The prosecution requested the arrest of the politician for alleged violations of the proper use of election campaign funds, illegal financing of competitors, falsification of documents and statements related to the 2023 elections in the autonomous region.
On March 28, the Chisinau district court ordered Guțul’s detention for 20 days. The defense appealed the decision to the appeals court.
At the same time, the prosecution filed an additional request to detain the head of the government for 30 days. On Tuesday, the state agency rejected this request. The Gagauzian government head herself denies any wrongdoing and describes the prosecution as politically motivated.
The spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Sacharova, stated that Moscow hopes the case of Guțul’s detention will be handled in accordance with the law and democratic principles. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitri Peskov called on Chisinau to refrain from applying pressure and to grant freedom to all political forces in the country.
Protests
According to TASS, residents of Gagauzia have collected 34,000 signatures for a petition demanding the release of the detained autonomy head. This was reported by civic activist Mikhail Vlakh to journalists.
The civic rights activist continued:
“Today, 34,000 residents of the Gagauzian autonomy have signed and it’s not just the ‘Pobeda’ block, the ‘Shor’ party, as many people try to portray it. Today, the entire Gagauzian people have risen up. The Baschkan was elected by the people. We are outraged by the decision to keep Guțul in custody and we will continue to collect signatures in her support” Vlakh stated in a statement to reporters.
He also expressed his indignation that Western ambassadors in Chisinau had not commented on Guțul’s detention.
“This silence suggests that our authorities have a free pass to do things that are supposed to lead us into a European future. This is an insult from the regime and the justice system” Vlakh emphasized.
Guțul’s pre-trial detention ends on April 14.