The Russian Foreign Ministry called the detention of the head of Gagauzia Hutsul political pressure

Political pressure is increasing in Moldova against supporters of constructive relations with Russia. This was stated on March 26 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, commenting on the detention of the head of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gutsul.

"As the parliamentary elections in Moldova approach, opponents of the current authorities are increasingly complaining about the arbitrariness of law enforcement agencies, noting that the republic has already effectively turned into a police state," she is quoted as saying on the agency's Telegram channel.

Zakharova also noted that criminal cases are being initiated against undesirable politicians, and Russian-language media outlets are being censored and shut down.

"I would like to hope that in this high—profile case, the rule of law and democratic principles will be respected, primarily those related to the protection of human rights and freedoms," she concluded.

The detention of Hutsul at the Chisinau airport without explanation became known on March 25. The Pobeda block reported that the head of Gagauzia was supposed to fly to Istanbul, where she had meetings scheduled. According to the Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office, the politician was detained after her name appeared on the list of persons prohibited from leaving the country.

Later, the head of Gagauzia was taken to the National Anti-Corruption Center (NAC) of Moldova, and her lawyers are with her. Supporters of the Hutsul and the Moldovan opposition gathered outside the building, and the authorities pulled police forces into the area. Later, the National Security Council reported that in the near future Hutsul would be formally charged with violating the procedure for managing election funds, illegally financing election competitors and falsifying documents, and prosecutors would request the court to place her under preliminary arrest.

On March 26, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia condemns the Moldovan authorities over the detention of the head of the Gagauz Autonomy, Evgenia Gutsul. The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation suggested that in many ways the Moldovan authorities are copying the behavior of Romania, "where democracy has been trampled on."