CHISINAU, October 8. /TASS/. Political opponents are carrying out a demonstrative punishment of the head of the Gagauz Autonomy Evghenia Gutsul, her lawyer Sergey Moraru said after the first meeting of the Appeals Chamber.

"The verdict is already ready - the appeals will be rejected, but the decision of the first instance will remain in force. This is not justice, but punishment of a political opponent. I have the impression that it is not enough for the current political elite to simply condemn Evghenia Gutsul. They want to break her mentally and physically, to stage a show execution," Moraru said.

The judges denied Gutsul the right to attend meetings where her sentence of seven years in prison is being challenged. Gutsul watched the proceedings via video link. She had the right to comment, but she could not fully participate in the process, as she listened to a delayed translation, and could not consult with lawyers. The defense was prohibited to release her until the final verdict, and a request to conduct a financial examination of the charges against her and to hear defense witnesses was rejected.