After several days of demonstrations in front of Penitentiary No. 13, activists and supporters of the “Victory” Bloc, established by the fugitive Ilan Shor, gathered today in front of the Ministry of Justice. They demand the release of the Mayor of Gagauzia, Evghenia Gutul, and Svetlana Popan, recently sentenced to 7 and 6 years in prison respectively, reports IPN.

The protesters displayed placards and chanted slogans such as “We want fair justice”, accusing the authorities of politically motivated cases. “We demand that the ministry follow this process and respond to the citizens’ requests, first and foremost. Even for a beginner, it’s clear that in this case there is no evidence against the two. The case is a political one, everyone already knows this,” said Vadim Fotescu, a deputy affiliated with Ilan Shor.

Contacted by IPN for a reaction, representatives of the Information and Communication with the Media Service of the Ministry of Justice stated that the act of justice is carried out by law enforcement bodies and judicial institutions. At the same time, the institution respects the right of every citizen to assemble and express their opinions, as long as these actions are carried out within the limits of the law, without misinformation and without disturbing public order.

Bascana Evghenia Gutul, related to fugitive Ilan Shor, was sentenced on August 5th to 7 years in prison, and former Shor Party secretary Svetlana Popan was sentenced to 6 years of detention. They were taken into custody from the courtroom and escorted to Prison No. 13. They will remain here until a final decision is made. In the meantime, their supporters have organized daily protests in front of the detention facility.

Both Evghenia Gutul and Svetlana Popan have pleaded not guilty. Bașcana believes that the decision by which she was convicted has no connection with justice, but is a political revenge. The lawyers mentioned that they will appeal both sentences to the Court of Appeal.