The first deputy head of Gagauzia called the arrest of Hutsul a political massacre.

Ilya Uzun, the first deputy head of Gagauzia, Yevgenia Gutsul, called on the residents of the autonomous region to unite on March 29 after the arrest of the head of the region, Yevgenia Hutsul, not to succumb to provocations, but also not to remain silent.

He also called the incident "a political reprisal against the will of the Gagauz people."

"Let them know in Chisinau. The harder they push, the more powerful our response will be. Evgenia Hutsul is a hero of Gagauzia, and her struggle is our common struggle. We will not back down," he said in a video message posted on his Facebook page (owned by Meta, a company whose activities are recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation).

He added that the authorities of Gagauzia will do everything possible to liberate the Hutsuls. Uzun assured that all authorities continue to function as usual, and the executive committee will inform about further actions in the near future.

On March 28, a court in Chisinau decided to arrest Hutsul for a period of 20 days. The defense, in turn, announced its readiness to appeal this decision.

Increased pressure: what will happen to the detention of the head of Gagauzia

Repressions against the opposition have intensified in Moldova, as it advocates improving relations with Moscow.

The detention of Hutsul at the Chisinau airport became known on March 25. The Pobeda block reported that the head of Gagauzia was supposed to fly to Istanbul, where she was scheduled to meet. According to the Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office, the politician was detained after her name was found on the list of persons prohibited from leaving the country. Later, the head of Gagauzia was taken to the National Anti-Corruption Center of Moldova.