Journalist Hasan Erel announced the development regarding Gutsul's sentencing on his social media account. A protest demonstration was held in front of the courthouse during the hearing. Protesters, who accused the Moldovan administration of pressuring the region, protested the prison sentence given to Gutsul.
THE INCIDENT
Elections were held in the Gagauz Autonomous Region in May 2023 to determine the governor, who is a permanent member of the Moldovan government.
The second round of the election was won by Yevgeniya Gutsul, who was nominated by the "Shor" Party, known for its pro-Russian stance and opposition to the government in the country.
The Moldovan government had issued warnings regarding irregularities in the gubernatorial elections in the Gagauz Autonomous Region.
The activities of the "Shor" Party, which belongs to businessman Ilan Shor—who is accused of stealing money from the country's budget and is alleged to be hiding in Israel—were banned in June 2023.
Yevgeniya Gutsul, born in 1986 in the village of Etulia in the Vulcanesti district of the Gagauz Autonomous Region, was detained at the airport in Chisinau on March 25.
It was decided at the hearing on March 28 that Gutsul, a mother of two, would be detained for 20 days on the grounds that her 2023 gubernatorial election campaign was financed illegally.
The Chisinau court decided on April 9 that Gutsul should remain under house arrest, and the duration of her house arrest was subsequently extended.
News Source: 12punto
