A known critic of the countrys leadership, Yevgenia Gutsul has been accused of campaign financing violations dating from her 2023 election

A court in Moldova has ordered Governor Yevgenia Gutsul, who heads the autonomous region of Gagauzia, to be held in custody for 20 days. Prosecutors had asked for her to be remanded for one month. Gutsul is a vocal critic of the country's pro-Western government.

The official was first detained on Tuesday at Chisinau International Airport, with the Moldovan authorities saying she was on a wanted list. On Friday, prosecutors said the governor stood accused of complicity in illegal campaign financing in the 2023 election. The politician won the governor's post in Gagauzia that year.

She was also charged with falsifying documents. Law enforcement officials did not provide any further details about the charges, citing a pending investigation.

Gutsul herself maintains her innocence. Her lawyers have denounced the court decision as "absurd" and vowed to appeal. "When there are no legal arguments [in favor of such a court decision], there are other arguments. I believe they are political in this case," one of the politician's lawyers, Sergiu Moraru, told journalists after the hearing.

The governor herself labeled the investigation a "political case" linked to her role as Gagauzia's leader. She has accused Chisinau of pursuing a plan to dismantle the region's autonomy through lawfare targeting her administration.

The Gagauz are a Turkic-speaking, predominantly Orthodox Christian ethnic group living in southern Moldova. Their region has been granted broad rights to self-government.

On Thursday, Gutsul appealed to both Russia and Türkiye to apply pressure on Moldovan President Maia Sandu's administration in defense of Gagauzia's rights. The Kremlin responded that it had "reviewed" Gutsul's request. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the actions of the Moldovan authorities are at odds with the democratic principles proclaimed by the West.

Chisinau claims that Gutsul is part of a Russian influence operation aimed at disrupting the country's attempts to become a member of the EU. Moscow has accused Moldova of cracking down on politicians and journalists who advocate closer ties with Russia.

(RT.com)