US EditionMoldova jails pro-Russian regional leader for election fraud weeks before crucial vote
MOLDOVA, AUG 5 – Evgenia Gutul was convicted of funneling $2.5 million in undeclared Russian funds to the banned pro-Russian Shor Party, undermining Moldova's sovereignty ahead of parliamentary elections.
- Evghenia Gutul, the pro-Russian governor of Gagauzia, was sentenced to seven years in prison for illegally funneling Russian funding to the banned Shor Party between 2019 and 2022, as reported by the court in Chisinau.
- Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Russia of planning an unprecedented interference campaign in the upcoming parliamentary elections, mentioning the exiled Shor Party leader Ilan Shor.
- The Kremlin condemned the verdict, claiming it reflects systematic suppression of the opposition and a violation of democratic norms in Moldova.
- Supporters protested outside the courthouse as Gutul was sentenced, and she has called for intervention from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
40 Articles
40 Articles
Moldova prepares itself before the parliamentary election against Russian influence. The pro-Russian governor of Gagausia must go to prison. The politician and the Kremlin speak of a political verdict.
Moldova Just Jailed Its Putin-Aligned Governor. Here’s What She Did
On August 5, a court in Chișinău sentenced the head of Moldova’s autonomous Gagauzia region, Evghenia Guțul, to seven years in prison for funnelling Russian money to the banned Șor Party. This marked a major blow to Moscow’s influence in Moldova. Svetlana Popan, the Șor Party’s former secretary, was also convicted in the case and sentenced to six years in prison. Gagauzia leader Evghenia Guțul escorted by Moldova’s anti-corruption police at the…
Moldova is deeply divided into a pro-Russian and a pro-Western camp. The autonomous region of Gagausia in the south of the former Soviet Republic has been leading a Kremlin-friendly politician since 2023.
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