2 Apr, 17:34

Some 34,000 residents from Moldova’s Gagauzia sign petition to free leader Gutsul

Mikhail Vlakh also expressed his dissatisfaction that Western ambassadors in Chisinau had not commented on Gutsul's arrest

CHISINAU, April 2. /TASS/. Some 34,000 residents from Moldova’s autonomous region of Gagauzia have signed a petition demanding the release of region’s head Evghenia Gutsul from prison, public activist Mikhail Vlakh told journalists on Wednesday.

"As of today, 34,000 residents of the Gagauz autonomy have already left their signatures, and it is not only the Pobeda [Victory] bloc, the Shor political party, as many people are trying to say," he said. "Today, the entire Gagauz people have risen. The Bashkan [the head of the region] has been elected by the people."

"We are outraged by the decision to keep Gutsul in custody and will continue collecting signatures to support her," Vlakh stressed.

He also expressed his dissatisfaction that Western ambassadors in Chisinau had not commented on Gutsul's arrest.

"Such silence suggests that our authorities have been handed carte blanche to do anything they want to allegedly lead us to a European future. This is sacrilege on behalf of the regime, on behalf of the judicial system," Vlakh added.

Earlier in the day, the Chisinau Court of Appeals ruled to keep Gutsul in custody. She is accused of embezzling funds to finance her party and election campaign. The Court of Appeals’ decision can’t be overturned. Gutsul's arrest expires on April 14.

Gutsul was detained on March 25 at Chisinau airport. She is facing two counts of embezzlement. 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.

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