https://sputnikglobe.com/20250812/jailed-gagauzia-leader-vows-to-fight-dictatorship-of-moldovas-sandu-1122601784.html
Jailed Gagauzia Leader Vows to Fight Dictatorship of Moldova’s Sandu
Jailed Gagauzia Leader Vows to Fight Dictatorship of Moldova’s Sandu
Sputnik International
Yevgenia Gutsul, the imprisoned head of Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia, sent a message through her lawyers from the pretrial detention center in Chisinau to the protest participants, in which she declared her readiness to fight the dictatorship of Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Gutsul's adviser, Yuri Kuznetsov, said at a rally on Tuesday.
2025-08-12T16:40+0000
2025-08-12T16:40+0000
2025-08-12T16:40+0000
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Protests in support of Gutsul have been taking place daily for the second week, with participants demanding her release and accusing the authorities of political repression. On August 5, a district court in Chisinau sentenced Gutsul to seven years in prison with immediate effect on charges of financing the banned Sor party. Gutsul called the court's decision a "political massacre." She accused Sandu of repressing dissenting voices and promised to appeal the sentence. Svetlana Popan, an activist of the opposition Pobeda (Victory) bloc, was sentenced to six years in prison in the same case. The message contains a call for interethnic unity in Moldova. The Moldovan government has been criticized for cracking down on the opposition and arbitrarily arresting its leaders. Gutsul was detained at the Chisinau airport in March. Opposition lawmakers have been routinely detained at Moldovan airports for visiting Russia, while criminal cases continue piling up against government critics. The government has also blocked over 100 Telegram channels and shut down more than a dozen media outlets, including Sputnik Moldova and several major TV channels.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250805/gagauzias-head-gutsul-defies-political-verdict-promises-to-fight-for-justice-1122555517.html
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yevgenia gutsul, gagauzia, moldova, maia sandu, political repression moldova, chisinau protests, sor party, pobeda bloc, svetlana popan, political imprisonment, moldovan opposition, interethnic unity moldova, gagauz protests, moldova dictatorship accusations, political persecution, media crackdown moldova, opposition arrests, moldova human rights, sputnik moldova shutdown, moldovan court sentence
Jailed Gagauzia Leader Vows to Fight Dictatorship of Moldova’s Sandu
CHISINAU (Sputnik) - Yevgenia Gutsul, the imprisoned head of Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia, sent a message through her lawyers from the pretrial detention center in Chisinau to the protest participants, in which she declared her readiness to fight the dictatorship of Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Gutsul's adviser, Yuri Kuznetsov, said.
Protests in support of Gutsul have been taking place daily for the second week, with participants demanding her release and accusing the authorities of
political repression.
On August 5, a district court in Chisinau
sentenced Gutsul to seven years in prison with immediate effect on charges of financing the banned Sor party. Gutsul called the court's decision a "political massacre." She accused Sandu of repressing dissenting voices and promised to appeal the sentence. Svetlana Popan, an activist of the opposition Pobeda (Victory) bloc, was sentenced to six years in prison in the same case.
"Your support motivates and gives strength to continue to fight against the dictatorship, the current government and injustice. I defend the right of each of your votes, which you have entrusted to me. This people's love cannot be bought for any money, as the pro-government media vilely and basely write about it. Thank you for your support and we will continue the political struggle against the Maia Sandu regime," Gutsul’s message, read out at the rally in Chisinau on Tuesday, said.
The message contains a call for interethnic unity in Moldova.
"We are one people. Gagauz, Moldovans, Ukrainians, Russians, Bulgarians. There is nothing more precious than our unity. And we are one big victorious family," the message said.
The Moldovan government has been criticized for cracking down on the opposition and arbitrarily arresting its leaders. Gutsul was detained at the Chisinau airport in March. Opposition lawmakers have been routinely detained at Moldovan airports for visiting Russia, while criminal cases continue piling up against government critics.
The government has also blocked over 100 Telegram channels and shut down more than a dozen media outlets, including Sputnik Moldova and several major TV channels.
