Gagauzia leader Gutsul faces early removal pending appeal ruling

Yevgenia Gutsul, the head of Gagauzia, could be removed from office ahead of schedule if the Chișinău Court of Appeal upholds her conviction, her lawyer Sergei Moraru told TASS.

A ruling on the appeal is expected on May 28, and if the verdict is confirmed, it will take full legal effect, including the enforcement of the sentence and all associated restrictions.

In August 2025, a Moldovan court found Gutsul guilty of violations related to the financing of the opposition Shor Party, which had been dissolved by authorities in 2023. She was sentenced to seven years in prison, barred from engaging in political activity and financial accounting, and ordered to repay 40.9 million lei (approximately €2 million) allegedly used незаконно for party funding. Prosecutors had sought a nine-year sentence but did not challenge the court’s ruling.

Gutsul has denied all charges, arguing that the case is politically motivated and driven by pressure from Moldova’s ruling authorities. Her relationship with the country’s leadership deteriorated in 2023 after she won the regional election and advocated for closer ties with Russia, while also criticising Chișinău’s confrontational stance toward Moscow.

By Tamilla Hasanova