Former Intelligence and Security Service Director, General Valentin Dediu, said on Wednesday during the TV show “Punctul pe Azi” on TVR Moldova that the Russian Federation may be trying to secure the release of former Gagauzia Governor (Bashkan) Evghenia Gutul through a potential prisoner exchange.
Dediu emphasized that Russia—not the Republic of Moldova—initiated the idea. He claimed that Russian authorities have detained several Moldovan citizens for alleged minor violations, such as border infractions, not espionage. According to him, Moscow is deliberately building a “critical mass” of detainees to use as leverage in negotiations for Gutul’s release.
“The information I have shows that the initiative for such an exchange comes from the Russian Federation, not the Republic of Moldova. Authorities in Moscow have detained several Moldovan citizens for various alleged violations, creating a critical number of individuals to use as bargaining chips in exchange for the Bashkan,” Dediu stated.
He added that he bases these conclusions on sources he considers credible. At the same time, he warned that Moscow may try to create the impression that Moldova is involved in the war against Russia alongside Ukraine, noting that there are “certain indications” pointing in that direction.
In mid-April, Russia’s ambassador to Moldova, Oleg Ozerov, requested a meeting with Evghenia Gutul in prison, but authorities denied the request. Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu supported the decision by the National Administration of Penitentiaries, calling the attempt a form of interference in Moldova’s internal affairs.
“There have been several attempts to contact Evghenia Gutul, but this is not his business. He is a diplomat only by passport, not by his actions, which are ultimately provocative—seeking to visit a convicted person. He has been involved in interference by the state he represents in Moldova’s internal, political, and electoral processes. I believe our authorities acted correctly in refusing this request, and they should maintain this approach,” Grosu said on the show “Cabinetul din Umbra” on Jurnal TV.
Authorities sentenced Evghenia Gutul, affiliated with fugitive politician Ilan Shor, to seven years in prison in a first-instance ruling. Law enforcement took her into custody directly from the courtroom and transferred her to Penitentiary No. 13. The Chisinau Court, Buiucani office, issued the ruling on August 5, 2025.
The case concerns the period from 2019 to 2022, when Gutul worked as a secretary in the monitoring, planning, and control department of the former Sor Party. She has appealed the sentence, and the Court of Appeal is expected to issue a decision on May 28.
Prosecutors say Gutul actively participated in the systematic transfer of funds from the Russian Federation to Moldova to illegally finance the Sor Party. They accuse her of knowingly accepting 42.5 million lei from an organized criminal group.
Authorities are also investigating Gutul in a second criminal case related to the illegal financing of her 2023 electoral campaign, which led to her election as Governor of the Gagauz region.