Overview

• The appellate hearing in Chisinau resumed after a technical pause, with Evgenia Gutsul and activist Svetlana Popan declaring their innocence by video link.
• Government adviser Mihail Vlah said judges rejected all four defense motions, including a bid to free Gutsul from custody.
• Defense lawyer Sergey Moraru said proceedings continued in normal order as the team seeks a review of the verdicts and the defendants’ release.
• The August 5 district court ruling sentenced Gutsul to seven years and Popan to six years, and prosecutors moved to recover $2.4 million from Gutsul.
• Prosecutors allege that 2019–2022 funds from Russia supported the Shor party’s 2023 campaign, while Gutsul calls the case political persecution and critics cite wider pressure on opposition and media in Moldova.