Moldova Jails Pro-Russian Head of Autonomous Region Over Funding

Evghenia Gutul after her sentencing in Chisinau, Moldolva, on Aug. 5. — Evghenia Gutul after her sentencing in Chisinau, Moldolva, on Aug. 5.Photographer: Elena Covalenco/AFP/Getty Images

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August 5, 2025 at 9:02 AM EDT

A Moldovan court sentenced the head of the autonomous region of Gagauzia to seven years in prison over illegal party funding tied to a fugitive oligarch.

The ruling against Evghenia Gutul comes just weeks before pivotal parliamentary elections in the eastern European nation.