A Moldovan court sentenced Gagauzia leader (bashkan) Evgenia Gutul to seven years in prison.
On Tuesday, Gutul was found guilty under Article 1812 of the Criminal Code of Moldova — “illegal financing of political parties and election campaigns, violation of the procedure for managing the financial resources of political parties and election funds.”
The case is linked to the Shor party, which was declared illegal by the republic’s Constitutional Court in 2023 and subsequently dissolved. Gutul was charged with two offences: from 2019 to 2022, she worked as secretary of the Shor Party and, according to the Moldovan Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, systematically brought unaccounted money into the republic, mainly from Russia, to finance the party; and from September to November 2022, she coordinated the work of the party’s offices, which provoked protests in the country.
According to the prosecution, Shor received a total of 42.4 million lei (about $2.5 million) from an unnamed organised crime group through Gutsul. Svetlana Popan, former head of Shor’s main office in Chisinau, is also charged in this case. According to the prosecution, she received 9.7 million lei (about $590,000) to pay for the protests. Neither Gutul nor Popan have admitted their guilt.
The investigation into the case began in January 2022 and was transferred to the district court in April 2024. On March 25, 2025, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office completed the presentation of evidence. On that day, Gutul attempted to leave the country and was detained at Chisinau airport while checking in for a flight to Istanbul. She was taken into custody for 72 hours, then the court placed her under house arrest.
Evgenia Gutul became the Bashkan of Gagauzia after winning the elections in May 2023. She ran for the Shor Party, founded by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, who fled to Israel in 2019 amid criminal proceedings for money laundering and now lives in Moscow.
The Moldovan authorities did not recognise Gutul’s victory. According to the same “Gagauz Code,” the Bashkan is a member of the country’s government, which is formalised by a special presidential decree. Moldovan President Maia Sandu did not issue such a decree and in March 2024 she stated outright that Gutul would not be included in the government.
“A person who works in a criminal group, who is not for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, who is not in the interests of the residents of the autonomy, a person who makes statements against his own country, has no place in the government,” the president explained.
A few months before the presidential elections in October 2024, Gutul expressed hope that the opposition would be able to send Sandu “to the dustbin of history,” and after Sandu won, she stated that the autonomous region’s authorities would not recognise her as head of state.
As Bashkan, Gutul visited Russia on numerous occasions. Two weeks before her arrest, she met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, as reported by the Kremlin on its website. After her arrest, Gutul appealed to Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for help.
EU sanctions
In October 2024, Brussels imposed sanctions against Gutul “for promoting separatism,” attempts to overthrow the constitutional order, and threats to the sovereignty and independence of Moldova. Three other representatives of the Gagauz authorities, including Deputy Bashkan Mikhail Vlah, were also included in the sanctions list.
Realising that its anti-national course will sooner or later meet with resistance from the people, the Moldovan leadership is removing its most active political opponents.
A similar situation recently occurred in neighbouring Romania, which claims Moldovan territory.
In Romania, presidential candidate Calin Georgescu has been officially charged. Until recently, he was leading in the polls, but now he is facing criminal charges.
The prosecutor’s office accused Georgescu of providing false information about the financing of his election campaign and spreading fascist propaganda. The charges were based on his statements on television, where he quoted leaders of the Iron Guard, a Romanian fascist organisation of the 1930s.
In March, Georgescu was already excluded from the election race after a major scandal. Now he faces imprisonment.
