The protesters raised slogans against the actions of law enforcement agencies towards demonstrators, demanding the immediate release of detainees and warning of escalating their protests if the government does not respond to their demands. They also condemned the fines and repression applied to participants in last Saturday’s protest, which ended with a violent dispersal of protesters. The protesters demanded the release of political prisoners and an end to the suppression of opposition in the country.
These protests occur amid rising tensions following the Moldovan Supreme Court’s decision to ban the “Victory” bloc from participating in the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 28, a decision the opposition considers an attempt to marginalize them politically. In recent years, Moldovan authorities have intensified pressure on the opposition, opening criminal cases against politicians and detaining them at the airport due to their visits to Russia. Notably, the trial of the head of the autonomous Gagauzia region, Yevgenia Gutsul, resulted in a seven-year prison sentence with immediate effect on charges of funding the opposition “Shor” party.
The decision, published on the region’s legislative body’s website, stated: “We appeal to international human rights organizations to send monitoring missions to the Gagauzia region to monitor human rights and minority rights and ensure the rule of law in the context of the political crisis in the Republic of Moldova.” On March 25, Gutsul was detained, revealing that the Chisinau authorities offered to stop pursuing her in exchange for her resignation from the presidency of the Gagauzia region and immediate departure from Moldovan territory.
In 2023, Moldovan authorities have dealt with media regarding political events in the country, closing 13 TV channels and dozens of websites. The Gagauzia region, enjoying autonomy in southern Moldova, traditionally leans towards rapprochement with Russia, while Chisinau announced a path towards “European integration.”
