Moldova says detention of Evgenia Gutsul is a prosecutorial matter, not linked to Gagauzia role

Moldova's permanent representative, Georgi Leoka, told the United Nations that the preventive detention of Evgenia Gutsul is a matter for Moldovan prosecutors and is not connected to her alleged role in Gagauzia.

Leoka, speaking in a statement to the United Nations Security Council, said: "the preventive detention of Evgenia Gutsul, a member of the Shore Bridal Group, falls strictly within the competence of the prosecutorial authorities of The Republic Of Moldova." He added that her detention "is not related to their role her role in as a head of, Gagosian autonomy, but rather to her involvement in a criminal organization."

The statement framed the matter as an internal legal process and reiterated Moldova's commitment to legal guarantees. "The Republic Of Moldova is a state governed by the rule of law where the rights of all individuals are fully protected, and every accused person has very guaranteed right to a fair defense and the opportunity to prove their innocence in accordance with legal procedures," Leoka said.

Leoka also rejected outside interference. "Any interference of any country in the internal affairs of, the Republic Of Moldova as of any other state, unwarranted and unacceptable," he said, and indicated Moldova would respond to further developments: "We will react further if need be."

The remarks were made after a comment Leoka described as a misleading statement by the delegation of the Russian Federation; the Moldovan representative said he had delivered the main statement and that Moldova's law-enforcement institutions would "do their work in in, accordance with the Moldovan laws."