MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. The authorities of Moldova’s autonomous region of Gagauzia are ready to prove the illegality of the regional leader’s arrest in international institutions, Ilya Uzun, deputy chairman of Gagauzia’s Executive Committee (government), said.
"We will work to achieve this goal even in the worst-case scenario; we will seek justice in international bodies. We will try to prove that Evghenia Gutsul is being held in custody unlawfully, and our lawyers will do that. <...> We will not give up and we will fight," he told the Rossiya-24 TV channel.
Uzun added that the Moldovan authorities were using criminal investigations into Gutsul in order to force her to step down as the autonomous region’s head. "As you know, the legal system works terribly in Moldova and it is heavily controlled by the [ruling] Party of Action and Solidarity, serving its interests. <...> Our lawyers are working on an appeal and will file it. We hope that the court will make a different decision, ruling that Evghenia Gutsul must be released because she is absolutely innocent," Uzun stressed.
Gutsul was detained at Chisinau’s airport last week. She is charged with violations regarding the financing of her election campaign in 2023. In addition, legal proceedings have been ongoing since last year, relating to discrepancies in the financing of the Shor opposition party, which the Moldovan authorities declared illegitimate and dissolved. On March 28, a court ruled that Gutsul be put into custody for 20 days. Gutsul denies all charges, saying that her political position is the reason behind her criminal prosecution. All opposition parties in Moldova’s parliament condemned Gutsul’s arrest.