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Moldova Jails Pro-Russian Regional Leader Over Kremlin-Linked Party Funding
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A court in Chișinău has sentenced the head of Moldova’s autonomous Gagauzia region, Evghenia Guțul, to seven years in prison for illegally financing the banned pro-Russian Șor Party with funds allegedly sourced from Russia.
The verdict was delivered on August 5 by the Buiucani District Court, following a lengthy investigation into the party’s financing activities between 2019 and 2022.
Moldova’s prosecution accused Guțul of being part of a systematic operation to transfer funds from the Russian Federation in support of the party founded by fugitive oligarch Ilan Șor.
The court also sentenced former Șor Party secretary Svetlana Popan to six years in prison for complicity in the same case. Prosecutors had sought nine years for Guțul and eight years for Popan. Both individuals were immediately taken into custody from the courtroom and transferred to detention facilities pending appeal.
The Șor Party was declared unconstitutional in Moldova in 2023.
According to Moldovan media outlet NewsMaker, Guțul was ordered to repay 40 million Moldovan lei, which investigators claim was used to illegally fund the party’s activities. She had been under house arrest since her detention at Chișinău Airport in March. Popan had remained under judicial supervision.
Neither Guțul nor Popan commented on the verdict. Guțul’s defense attorney, Sergiu Moraru, called the proceedings “a public execution” and stated that the defense would file an appeal.
Prior to the sentencing, police cordoned off the area surrounding the court. Demonstrators gathered outside in support of Guțul, while a counter-protest took place nearby.
The Kremlin criticized the ruling, linking it to Moldova’s upcoming elections in September.
Guțul, elected as Governor (Başkan) of Gagauzia in 2023, has been widely regarded as a pro-Russian political figure. During her tenure, she met publicly with Russian officials, including leader Vladimir Putin.
Earlier, Moldova’s National Security Adviser Stanislav Secrieru warned that Russia has intensified disinformation efforts targeting the Moldovan diaspora across Europe ahead of the September elections. Speaking to Politico, Secrieru said Kremlin-linked actors are using fake media outlets to demobilize voters and undermine trust in Moldova’s democratic institutions.
