Protesters raised slogans against the actions of law enforcement agencies towards the demonstrators, demanding the immediate release of detainees, and warning of escalating their protests if the government does not respond to their demands. The protesters also condemned the fines and repression applied to participants in last Saturday’s protest. The demonstration last Saturday ended with a violent dispersal of the protesters.
The protesting demonstrators called for the release of political detainees and the cessation of the oppression of the opposition in the country. These protests come amid escalating tensions after 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 deemed an attempt to politically marginalize them.
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. Among the prominent cases is the trial of the head of the autonomous Gagauzia region, Yevgenia Gutsul, who was sentenced to 7 years in prison with immediate execution for financing the opposition ‘Shor’ party.
The decision, published on the legislative body’s website in the region, stated: ‘We appeal to international human rights organizations to send monitoring missions to the Gagauzia region to monitor the respect for human rights and the rights of national minorities and to ensure the rule of law in the context of the political crisis in the Republic of Moldova.’
On March 25, Gutsul was detained and revealed that the authorities in Chisinau offered to stop pursuing her in exchange for her stepping down from the presidency of the Gagauzia region and leaving the territory of Moldova immediately. Moldovan authorities have dealt with media coverage of political events in the country in 2023, closing 13 television channels and dozens of websites.
The Gagauzia region enjoys autonomy in southern Moldova, where its residents traditionally lean towards closer ties with Russia, while Chisinau has announced a path towards ‘European integration.’
