Moldovan police detained the leader of the Gagauz ethnic minority at Chișinău International Airport, Reuters reported.
Evghenia Guțul, the leader of Gagauzia, was held in the capital for 72 hours, Angela Starinschi of Moldova’s Anti-Corruption Centre said.
The action is being taken within the context of a criminal case.
Gagauzia, a region of 140,000 people in southern Moldova, is populated by ethnic Turks who favour close ties with Russia, adhere to Orthodox Christianity, and have had an uneasy relationship with the central authorities since Moldova’s independence in 1991.
Guțul was elected bashkan (leader) of Gagauzia in 2023. She met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow, which could have exacerbated crackdowns by Moldovan authorities as President Maia Sandu seeks to join the EU by 2030.
Moldovan authorities are set to sentence the leader of Gagauzia on charges of alleged corruption and financing a political bloc led by Ilan Shor. Her detention follows the unexplained disappearance last week of MP Alexandr Nesterovschi and MP Irina Lozovan.
