CHISINAU, Moldova — A Moldovan court sentenced Evgenia Gutul, the pro-Kremlin leader of the Gagauzia region, to seven years in prison on Tuesday for helping channel illegal Russian funds to a banned political party accused of undermining Moldova’s pro-European government.
Prosecutors said that between 2019 and 2022, Gutul facilitated the transfer of $2.5 million from an “organized criminal group” to support the activities of the now-outlawed Shor Party, led by Ilan Shor, an exiled businessman with pro-Russian ties.
Authorities allege the funds were used to promote pro-Russian sentiment across Moldova, especially in the run-up to key elections. The court’s decision comes just weeks before Moldova’s parliamentary elections scheduled for September 28, amid ongoing claims of Russian interference in the country’s democratic processes.
Gutul, who has made multiple visits to Moscow to meet Russian officials and has been vocal in her opposition to the Moldovan government, denied the charges. “This decision has nothing to do with justice. This is a political massacre,” she said in a public statement. She plans to appeal the ruling.
Outside the courthouse in Chisinau, over 100 of her supporters protested the verdict, chanting “Shame!” and accusing the government of political repression.
The Kremlin condemned the sentence, with spokesman Dmitri Peskov calling it politically motivated, saying, “We see how the opposition is being clamped down in every possible way.”
Gutul, whose region of Gagauzia is home to about 140,000 ethnic Turkic residents, has already been sanctioned by the EU and U.S. for alleged efforts to destabilize Moldova.
In 2023, Moldovan authorities accused Ilan Shor of sending $24 million through Russia’s Promsvyazbank to bribe voters during the presidential election and a referendum on joining the European Union. Shor, who has previously been convicted of fraud, denies all wrongdoing.
