CHISINAU, April 1. /TASS/. The head of Moldova’s Gagauzia region, Evghenia Gutsul, has pleaded with US Vice President JD Vance to weigh in on what she described as the country’s efforts to suppress the region’s self-governance.
"Today, a brutal political game is unfolding in Moldova, and it is modelled on the worst authoritarian forms," she wrote in an appeal addressed to Vance and posted to her Telegram channel.
"My illegal detention is only a part of the campaign to liquidate the autonomy of Gagauzia," the politician said. "It is extremely important that American institutions give a political assessment of the violations taking place in Gagauzia."
"I would like to emphasize that Gagauzia does not seek confrontation: All we want is to preserve our right to self-governance granted to us by law. Your attention to our plight can not only protect the rights of the Gagauz people, but also prevent the escalation of tension," she went on to say.
The appeal follows similar pleas to presidents Donald Trump of the US, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. Erdogan previously visited the self-governed region, home to a Turkic ethnic group that embraced Christianity.
Gutsul was detained on March 25 at the Chisinau airport. She is facing two investigations. In one, she was charged with irregularities related to the financing of the 2023 election campaign. In the other, she was indicted for irregularities in the financing of the opposition party Sor, which was declared illegal by Moldova’s authorities and subsequently dissolved.
After winning the election to lead the autonomy in 2023, the politician declared her intention to strengthen the region's friendly relations with Russia and criticized Chisinau's policy of confrontation with Moscow. The Moldovan government tried to void the election and sent prosecutors to investigate the region’s Central Election Commission. However, the Gagauz parliament expressed solidarity with Gutsul, and several rallies were held in the region in support of the newly-elected leader. Moldovan President Maia Sandu refused to appoint Gutsul as a member of the Moldovan government, defying Moldovan law.