Tensions Run High in Gagauzia as Regional Leader is Detained
Protesters in Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, a autonomous region in Moldova, took to the streets on Wednesday, calling for the release of their leader, Evghenia Guțul, who was detained by the country’s anti-corruption agency.
Guțul, the 39-year-old head of the regional administration, was accused of irregularities in the management of election funds, illegal financing and forgery of documents in connection with the local elections in 2023.
The protesters, many of whom were carrying Gagauzian flags and banners, demanded her immediate release, calling her a victim of political persecution. They accused the Moldovan president, Maia Sandu, of personally ordering Guțul’s detention, citing the fact that 95% of the local population voted against Sandu in the recent elections.
Guțul, in a statement, expressed gratitude to the parliamentarians Denis Ulanow and Vadim Fotescu, who had spoken out in her support and assured the people of Gagauzia that she had committed no wrongdoing. She warned that if the regional parliament and the people of Gagauzia gave in to pressure, they would lose their autonomy.
The situation in Gagauzia is escalating, with the Moldovan leadership reportedly deploying police forces in the region. Victor Petrow, the vice-chief of the autonomous region, warned that the city of Comrat may be blockaded and that further arrests are possible.
The Kremlin has also weighed in, with a spokesperson, Dmitri Peskow, condemning the detention of Guțul and calling on the Moldovan leadership to stop such practices and give all political forces in the country free rein. Peskow accused President Sandu of using her power to suppress her political opponents.
Guțul was detained at the Chișinău airport on Tuesday evening and taken directly to the national anti-corruption agency, where she was held for 72 hours before a court hearing. The agency claims that Guțul’s detention is connected to the regional elections in 2023, in which she is accused of irregularities in the management of election funds, illegal financing and forgery of documents.
Guțul’s adviser, Yuri Kuznetsov, described the detention as illegal, saying that she was scheduled to travel to Istanbul on March 25 for an international journalists’ conference, where she planned to discuss important issues related to the autonomous region.