CHISINAU, August 3. /TASS/. Thousands of people have gathered in the city of Comrat for a rally in support for Gagauz autonomy’s head Evghenia Gutsuk, who was detained in Chisinau and placed under house arrest, Mikhail Vlah, adviser to the Gagauz head and one of the rally’s organizers, told TASS.
"Despite the obstacles placed by the police, around 5,000 people have gathered for a rally. We are here to say ‘no’ to the lawlessness and arbitrariness of the Chisinau authorities against Gagauzia," he said, adding that the police are trying not to let people from other cities come to Comrat.
Relations between Chisinau and Cpmrat became strained in 2023 after Evghenia Gutsul, an opposition politician, won elections in the autonomy and proclaimed a course toward closer relations with Russia, criticizing Chisinau’s policy of confrontation with Moscow. Moldovan authorities tried to recognized the election in Gagauzia invalid, but the Gagauz parliament sided with Gutsul. Apart from that, a series of grass-roots rallies were held in her support. However, Moldovan President Maia Sandu refused to sign a document approving Gutsul as a government member, which is required to be done under the country’s laws.
