Moldova: Pro-Russian governor sentenced to prison

Shortly before the parliamentary elections in the politically divided Republic of Moldova , a prominent pro-Russian politician was sentenced to seven years in prison. Evghenia Gutul, the governor of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, was found guilty of illegal party financing.

The trial concerned the financing of the temporarily banned Sor Party , named after its founder, the pro-Moscow oligarch Ilan Sor. Gutul allegedly brought undeclared Russian funds to Moldova between 2019 and 2022. The governor denies the allegations. Her lawyer announced that she would appeal the verdict.

Moscow speaks of incitement

Russia criticized the action against Gutul and accused Moldova's pro-European government of deliberately stirring up sentiment against pro-Russian forces. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the verdict politically motivated. He told the Russian state news agency TASS that the opposition in Moldova was being suppressed.

Gutul, 38, has been the head of Gagauzia, where the Turkic-speaking Gagauz people govern themselves, since 2023. They are traditionally considered pro-Russian. After taking office, Gutul traveled to Moscow several times to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin .

Parliamentary elections at the end of September

Moldova will hold parliamentary elections on September 28. The small former Soviet republic, located between Ukraine and Romania, has been torn for decades between rapprochement with the West and alignment with Russia. Led by President Maia Sandu , the pro-EU camp currently holds power in the impoverished country.

Last week, Sandu warned of massive Russian influence on the parliamentary elections. The president has been pushing for ties with the European Union for years, and accession negotiations with Moldova began in 2024.

haz/wa (dpa, afp)