A Chisinau court has handed down a seven-year prison sentence to Eugenia Gutsul, leader of Moldova's autonomous Gagauzia region, for funding the banned pro-Russian "Shor" party, according to IPN news agency.
Gutsul will serve her term in a semi-open facility where she can work, join rehabilitation programs, and leave temporarily with approval. The court also barred her from political party membership and financial roles in political organizations for five years.
Prosecutors had sought a nine-year sentence, while Gutsul maintained her innocence before the verdict. Outside the courthouse, Reuters reported over 100 supporters gathered in protest.
The court determined that between 2019 and 2022, as Shor's secretary, Gutsul regularly funneled Russian funds into Moldova for the party's use. She was also convicted of managing certain Shor branches and knowingly accepting over 42.5 million lei (~$2.5 million) from a criminal network to bankroll party operations.
In a related ruling, former Shor secretary Svetlana Popan received six years under similar restrictions. The court found she illicitly obtained 9.8 million lei (~$575,000) in 2022 to pay undeclared staff wages, protest incentives, and other unlawful party expenses.