Gucul: Judge Hearing My Detention Case Recused Himself

The head of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gucul, announced that the judge presiding over her extension of detention has recused himself, as reported by BELTA, citing TASS.

“The judge recused himself, stating that he feels pressured,” Gucul told journalists. Her house arrest is set to expire on July 14. The future course of the hearing will depend on the decision of the judicial authority.

Supporters of Gucul gathered in Kishinev for a picket outside the courthouse.

The Moldovan Prosecutor’s Office demands a nine-year prison sentence for the leader of Gagauzia.

The day before, Gucul’s lawyers requested the recusal of the judge, but their plea was rejected. On the same day, Gucul accused the aforementioned judge of bias. “The case regarding the extension of my pre-trial detention will once again be considered by the same judge whose partiality is evident even to neutral observers,” she remarked.

Criminal cases have been initiated against Gucul in Moldova, alleging violations related to the funding of the “Sor” party, including during the 2023 Gagauz regional elections. The judicial process on July 1 entered the stage of closing arguments, with the prosecution seeking to imprison Gucul for nine years.

Relations between Evgenia Gucul and Moldova’s leadership have deteriorated since her electoral victory in 2023. The politician declared her intention to strengthen friendly ties between the region and Russia and criticized Chisinau’s confrontational policies toward Moscow. In response, Moldovan authorities attempted to declare the regional elections illegal, but solidarity with Gucul was expressed by the Gagauz Parliament. Several mass rallies in her support also took place in the region. However, Moldova’s President Maia Sandu declined to sign an order officially appointing Gucul to the government, as mandated by national law.