Evghenia Guțul gets 7 years for illegal party financing
Evghenia Guțul, the head of the Gagauz region, has been sentenced to 7 years in a semi-open prison.
The ruling was issued on Tuesday, August 5th, by the magistrates of the Chișinău Court, Buiucani branch, in a case involving the illegal financing of the former "Șor" Party, which was declared unconstitutional in June 2023. A 6-year sentence was also given to the second defendant in the case, Svetlana Popan.
The court found Evghenia Guțul guilty of two counts related to complicity in the illegal financing of a political party from October 2021 to November 2022.
"Based on Article 84, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code, for the concurrence of offenses through partial cumulative sentencing, a definitive penalty of 7 years in prison is established for Evghenia Guțul. The sentence is to be served in a semi-open prison for women, along with the deprivation of the right to carry out financial-related activities within political parties and the right to be a member of a political party for a term of 4 years," read judge Ana Cucerescu's sentence.
Evghenia Guțul's lawyer described the verdict as politically motivated and announced that he would appeal the court's decision.
"This was a public execution, and the way it was organized today demonstrated that," Sergiu Moraru told the press.
Evghenia Guțul appeared for the sentencing alongside her husband and child. She was detained immediately after leaving the courtroom. In front of the building, several supporters of the Bashkan gathered to protest, demanding her release.
According to the indictment, Guțul allegedly acted as an accomplice in the illegal financing of the former "Șor" Party by accepting and managing funds from an organized criminal group. Initially, prosecutors had requested a 9-year prison sentence.
The decision is not final and can be appealed.
Evghenia Guțul has been the head of Gagauzia since July 19, 2023. Born on September 5, 1986, in the village of Etulia, Gagauzia, and a former member of the Șor Party until its ban in June 2023, Guțul promoted a pro-Russian agenda in Moldova. In March 2024, she met with Vladimir Putin.
Guțul is the target of international sanctions imposed by the US in June 2024 and by the EU in October 2024 for her destabilizing actions and promotion of separatism. In Moldova, Guțul is also being investigated in another case opened for the illegal financing of her electoral campaign for the position of Bashkan of the Gagauz region in 2023.
Evghenia Guțul denies the accusations and claims to be the victim of political persecution.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
