A court in Moldova has rejected a request for Hutsul's release from custody.

On April 2, the judges of the Chisinau Court of Appeal rejected the lawyers' request to cancel the arrest of the head of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gutsul, upholding the decision of the court of first instance. This was announced by her lawyer Sergey Moraru.

"The panel of judges decided that Hutsul remains under arrest for 20 days," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

Moraru also stressed that the accusations against the Hutsuls have a political background.

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.

Hutsul was detained at the Chisinau airport on March 25. According to the Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office, this happened after her name was found on the list of persons prohibited from leaving the country. On March 28, the head of Gagauzia was arrested for 20 days. This period turned out to be 10 days less than the prosecutors had requested.

The Pobeda bloc, in turn, expressed categorical protest against the court's decision to keep the head of the Gagauz Autonomy in custody for 20 days and called it a planned step to increase pressure on the dissenters.