Moscow – Sputnik. Natalia Birem, Gotsul’s lawyer, told Sputnik that the Chișinău District Court ruled with immediate enforcement in a criminal case involving the financing of the banned Sor Party. She continued, “This is not justice, but a signal that the authorities are deliberately using power to intimidate opponents, primarily the residents of Gagauzia, who openly oppose the central government’s policies.” She expressed deep disappointment with the country’s judicial system.
Petrov noted, “Today, it is impossible to describe Moldova as a democratic state. We live in a country where the ruling party controls all institutions and places itself above the law. We’ve heard direct threats from high-ranking officials, and now we see how these threats are being carried out.”
The Moldovan government has been criticized for suppressing opposition and arbitrarily arresting its leaders. Gotsul was arrested at Chișinău airport in March on charges of violating campaign finance rules and forgery of documents. Opposition deputies are routinely detained at Moldova’s airports for visiting Russia, while criminal cases against government critics accumulate.
Additionally, the government has blocked more than 100 channels on Telegram and shut down over a dozen media outlets, including RIA Novosti Moldova and several major television channels.
