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STORY: UN / RUSSIA MOLDOVA
TRT: 03:28
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 27 MARCH 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters
27 MARCH 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Russian Representative at the stakeout area
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dmitry Polyanskiy, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“We have just drawn attention of fellow members of the Security Council to the situation in Moldova, namely about the detention of the leader of the Gagauz autonomy in Moldova, Mrs. Yevgenia Gutsul, who is also a famous opposition politician, a meaningful politician. This is not the first case when the Moldovan authorities harass political opposition in this country. We are far from interfering in the internal affairs of Moldova, and we do not call for members of the Council to do so, but the Council has a preventive function, and we think that in line with this preventive function, we should do our best to avoid a situation when the state of affairs in Moldova moves to a very bad and unstable situation. I don't want to speculate on this, but the development is very troubling. It goes into the context of the recent presidential elections in this country, which were largely contested and proceeded in a very, very controversial atmosphere. It also is adjacent to a number of provocations against Transnistria. The situation in neighboring Romania is also raising a lot of brows because of the banning of the leading candidate to run for the election. So the whole region is not stable, and we just thought it our responsibility to raise the awareness of the Members of the Council to this absolutely untolerable situation.”
4. Wide shot, Moldovan Representative at the stakeout
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Gheorghe Leucă, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the Republic of Moldova:
“I'm the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova, Gheorghe Leucă, and I would like to make a short statement on behalf of my government in relation to this misleading statement just made by the delegation of the Republic of Russia in relation to my country. I would like to state that the preventive detention of Yevgenia Gutsul, a member of the Shor criminal group, falls strictly within the competence of the prosecutorial authorities of the Republic of Moldova. Her detention is not related to her role as the head of the Gagauzian autonomy, but rather to her involvement in a criminal organization. Furthermore, 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 their guaranteed right to a fair defense and the opportunity to prove their innocence in accordance with legal procedures. Finally, I would like to state that any interference of any country in the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova, as of any other state, are unwarranted and unacceptable.”
6. Wide shot, Moldovan Representative leaves the stakeout
Referring to news reports that a politician was detained in Moldova, Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy called the situation “intolerable” and described the region as “not stable.” The Moldovan ambassador said Polyanskiy's statements were “misleading.”
Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters today (Mar 27), Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said his delegation had drawn the Security Council’s attention to the detention of Yevgenia Gutsul, the leader of Moldova’s Gagauzian autonomy and “a famous opposition politician, meaningful politician” according to Polyanskiy.
“This is not the first case when the Moldovan authorities harass political opposition in this country,” said Polyanskiy. While stressing that Moscow had no intention of interfering in Moldova’s domestic affairs, he added that the Council “has a preventive function,” and urged members to act to prevent “a very bad and unstable situation.”
Polyanskiy referenced Moldova’s recent presidential elections, which he said, “were largely contested and proceeded in a very, very controversial atmosphere.” He also cited “provocations against Transnistria” and political developments in neighboring Romania, describing the region as “not stable.”
Responding shortly afterward, Moldovan Ambassador Gheorghe Leucă called the statement by Polyaskiy “misleading.” He also said, “The preventive detention of Yevgenia Gutsul, a member of the Shor criminal group, falls strictly within the competence of the prosecutorial authorities of the Republic of Moldova,” Leucă said.
According to the Moldovan envoy, the charges are not related to Gutsul’s political role. “Her detention is not related to her role as the head of the Gagauzian autonomy, but rather to her involvement in a criminal organization,” he said.
Leucă emphasized Moldova’s commitment to due process and judicial independence. “The Republic of Moldova is a state governed by the rule of law, where the rights of all individuals are fully protected,” he said. “Every accused person has their guaranteed right to a fair defense and the opportunity to prove their innocence in accordance with legal procedures.”
“Any interference of any country in the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova, as of any other state, are unwarranted and unacceptable,” Leucă concluded.
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