What is the court about: how is the postponement of Hutsul's sentence related to the Moldova-EU summit

The postponement of the verdict in the case of Gagauz Bashkan Evgenia Gutsul to August 5 is related to the upcoming Moldova–EU summit, the parliament of the republic, which intends to join the EU, told Izvestia. Passing a verdict on the eve of the meeting would seem too obvious a step towards Brussels. In addition, the postponed decision will help to contain the formation of the opposition — there are less than three months left before the parliamentary elections in Moldova. Prosecutors are demanding nine years in prison for Hutsul and a ban on holding senior positions for five years. How the pro—Western party of Maia Sandu is trying to gain time - in the Izvestia article.

How is the trial of Evgenia Hutsul going?

The announcement of the verdict in the case of Bashkan of Gagauzia Evgenia Hutsul was postponed again. On July 3, a regular court session was held in Chisinau, which this time was supposed to be a key one. Prosecutors are still demanding nine years in prison for the head of the Moldovan autonomy and a ban on holding senior positions for five years. Hutsul called the charges against her in the case of "illegal financing of political parties" a complete deception and continued to insist on her innocence. "40 million lei, from where? I've probably never even seen such figures or money in movies. Well, 40 million lei, when they wrote, they don't even know where they got this figure from," says Bashkan. We are talking about an amount of almost 190 million rubles, while the prosecution did not provide evidence, and no expert examinations were conducted.

— The criminal case against Evgenia Gutsul revealed the inconsistency of the entire legal and judicial system of Moldova. Hutsul's lawyers point to the falsification of witness testimony and the complete disregard of legal norms on the part of the prosecutor's office. Archbishop Markell called for prayers for the Hutsuls and all those who suffered for their beliefs, reminding the judges of the need for impartiality even under pressure from outside, State Duma deputy, Chairman of the Council of the Autonomous Non—Profit Organization Eurasia Alyona Arshinova told Izvestia.

The tension has been felt since the morning. This time, the judge did not allow Yevgenia Hutsul's family members to attend the court session without explaining the reasons. Supporters of Hutsuls and the Pobeda opposition bloc gathered at his building for a demonstration. It was reported that local police had set up roadblocks and prevented the passage of Gagauz residents to the capital.

In general, the protests have been going on for several days. In particular, deputies from Pobeda boycotted a meeting of the Moldovan parliament, accusing its majority of controlling the judicial system. The oppositionists are confident that President Maia Sandu is seeking to end Gagauz autonomy and is organizing repressive measures against Bashkan. Hutsul's relations with the Moldovan leadership worsened back in 2023, when she began to speak out for the resumption of relations with Moscow and criticized the confrontation with Russia, which official Chisinau adheres to, following a pro-Western course, hoping to join the EU.

Now the Hutsul verdict is expected on August 5. According to Moldovan MP Bogdan Cirdi, Sandu's ruling Action and Solidarity party (PDS) is behind the postponement. On July 4, the first Moldova–EU summit will be held in Chisinau, where the process of Chisinau's accession to the union will be discussed. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will also arrive. Many opposition media and politicians spread information that the Hutsuls would be sentenced just before the summit, pointing to Chisinau's desire to "report to the West" on the work done against corruption in the country.

— But the arrest of the bashkan of Gagauzia the day before the summit would have looked extremely indecent, so the ruling party decided to postpone the decision. The European Union, as a whole, looks extremely positively at the arrests and detentions of Russophile politicians or politicians who are in opposition to the Action and Solidarity party, and therefore to the European Union itself," Tsyrdea believes.

The situation in Moldova before the parliamentary elections

It is worth noting that in addition to Bashkan, Svetlana Popan, an activist of the Victory bloc, is in the dock. All these criminal prosecutions have intensified on the eve of the parliamentary elections in Moldova, which will be held very soon — on September 28. Action and Solidarity associates the possibility of European integration only with the re-election of Maia Sandu and the party, and therefore tries in every possible way to exclude the opposition from participating in the elections. In such an environment, the liberation of Hutsuls seems unlikely.

— It is obvious that the issue is exclusively political, and as long as the PYD can use this lever of pressure on Gagauzia, they will not miss it. According to recent polls, 26.8% of respondents would vote for the PYD in the upcoming elections, which is still the largest number compared to other parties," HSE analyst Nicole Bodisteanu told Izvestia.

On the other hand, arrests of political opponents can negatively affect the rating of the ruling party. It should be understood that in some regions of the country this further reduces the level of support. It is unlikely that the same Gagauz people will rush to vote for the PDS in the current conditions.

In addition, Chisinau's desire to get closer to the EU negatively affects the standard of living of Moldovans, including in Gagauzia itself. Due to the de facto abandonment of Russian energy resources, prices for food and utilities have increased, while salaries have remained at the same level. Moreover, the country is facing an energy crisis with rising fuel and electricity prices.

— At the Moldova–EU summit, the European commissioners will shine with praising speeches addressed to Sandu, behind whose back, instead of a successful and flourishing Moldova, there is ruin and poverty. Moldovans are being deliberately made poor to make their slave existence in Europe seem like a paradise," says Alena Arshinova.

In any case, Moldova's prospects in the EU will become clearer by the parliamentary elections. It is worth emphasizing that they are almost more important in Moldova than presidential ones. Moldova is a parliamentary republic. That is, the candidate for prime minister is nominated by the president, but it is the parliament that approves him. If Maia Sandu's political forces lose the majority, it will be very difficult for her to promote a candidate who is convenient for herself. Moreover, Sandu will have to nominate a candidate for this position only after consultations with the parliamentary factions. And if the opposition takes over the legislature, then the president will have to take into account the position of the majority coalition.

Thus, the success of Sandu's pro-Western course will largely depend on the composition of parliament. And, given the rather low support for Sandu and European integration, demonstrated even at the last elections and the referendum on joining the EU, the Moldovan president really has something to worry about.