The People's Assembly of Gagauzia is demanding the immediate release of Bashkan Evghenia Gutul, who was detained on Tuesday evening at Chisinau International Airport. In a statement, the deputies from Comrat mentioned that "these actions are purely political," IPN reports.

The President of the Assembly, Dmitri Constantinov, stated that the detention of the Bashkan is a new attempt by the government to exert pressure on Gagauzia. According to Constantinov, human rights, particularly the right to free movement, are being violated, as no one can prohibit a person from traveling under the pretext of controls. The official from Comrat reminded that Evghenia Gutul appeared in court on Tuesday, and no one had accused her of being on the run.

The head of the People's Assembly accused the country's leadership of deciding "who is guilty and who is not, who has rights and how many." "We appeal to the diplomatic corps to stop these pressures and illegalities, and we ask the judiciary to uphold the law," stated Constantinov.

The deputies from Comrat argue that the government's actions in Chisinau have political connotations in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections and are meant to send a signal to the opposition, which they seek to silence.

According to the People's Assembly, the detention of the Bashkan is an unprecedented case that crosses red lines: "There are tools being used to settle scores with the Bashkan, whose criminal case has been fabricated, as the presumption of innocence has not been canceled by anyone".

When asked to provide a response, the Government spokesperson said that the Government will not comment on the statement made by the People's Assembly of Comrat.

Evghenia Gutul was detained on Tuesday at Chisinau Airport, where she was about to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. According to the General Prosecutor's Office, her status was flagged in the informational systems, which led border police to inform the relevant authorities. The law enforcement is also investigating the Bashkan's intent to leave the territory of the Republic of Moldova without returning.

After her detention, fugitive Ilan Shor declared that the actions represented an illegality. Supporters of the Bashkan gathered in front of the National Anti-Corruption Center (CNA) despite the late hour and rain. A rally was also organized today in Comrat, where protesters demanded the release of Evghenia Gutul. Among the demonstrators outside the Executive Committee of Gagauzia were many participants from previous protests, supporters of the fugitive Ilan Shor.