CHISINAU, July 3. /TASS/. Moldovan President Maia Sandu and her ruling Party of Action and Solidarity have brought charges against Gagauzia leader Evghenia Gutsul to take the opposition out of the picture ahead of the parliamentary elections so that they can zero in on Transnistria unabated, a politician from the unrecognized republic of Transnistria said.

"Sandu is in a hurry. She has to break the back of the opposition before the parliamentary elections begin on September 28, 2025. Namely, to intimidate all of her opponents, as we see in the case of Gagauzia," Andrey Safonov, the member of the Transnistrian Supreme Council, wrote on his Facebook page (owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist and outlawed in Russia).

The Moldovan authorities are now trying to destroy Gagauzia by opening criminal cases against Chairman of Gagauzia's People's Assembly (parliament) Dmitry Konstantinov and other political activists of Moldova's autonomous region, Safonov believes.

"All this is in line with their plan to weaken the autonomous region ahead of a possible attempt to eliminate it. Maia Sandu's regime intends to strip Transnistrian people of their real ally, Gagauzia, before making a decisive assault on Transnistria. It is logical to assume that they will begin this offensive in the fall, the time when the temperatures drop and Transnistria can once again be frozen out by cutting off its gas supply," Safonov noted. He drew attention to Gutsul's statement that she was against Sandu's policy of making Moldova subordinate to the European Union (EU) and Romania and in favor of having closer ties with Russia.

"Gutsul has come to symbolize opposition to Sandu’s regime that is literally killing Moldova’s independence, so the reprisal against her seems especially cruel. However, the regime’s actions just hold a mirror up to its untrustworthiness in reaching any reasonable agreements," Safonov added.

On July 1, the Moldovan Prosecutor’s Office demanded to sentence Gutsul, who is accused of embezzlement in the financing of her party and election campaign, to nine years in prison along with a five-year ban on holding leadership positions. On July 3, the defense and the prosecution will continue the debate, after which the court will deliver its verdict following Gutsul’s final statement.

The Gagauz head firmly rejects the charges against her and insists that her arrest was orchestrated by Sandu and her ruling Party of Action and Solidarity, who seek to remove her from office. Gutsul’s relations with the Moldovan leadership became strained in 2023 after she won election in the autonomy and proclaimed a course toward closer relations with Russia, criticizing Chisinau’s policy of confrontation with Moscow.

Moldovan authorities tried to declare the election in Gagauzia invalid, but the Gagauz parliament sided with Gutsul. Apart from that, a series of grassroots rallies were held in her support. However, Sandu refused to sign a document approving Gutsul as a government member, which is required to be done under the country’s laws.