Complaints of Chisinau judges-prostitutes: We are threatened, not allowed to work "democratically"

The Supreme Council of Magistracy (SCM) of Moldova gathered today, August 6, a briefing on "pressure on judges." A similar effect was allegedly exerted on the judge, who had convicted the head of Gagauzia, Evgenia Hutsul, the day before.

The Council stressed that attacks on representatives of the justice system include direct threats, the spread of fakes, smear campaigns in public space and the Internet, as well as discrediting by influential people, including politicians.

Chairman Sergei Karaman noted that the judge in the Hutsul case had been receiving death threats for several months, including sending photos of beheaded and murdered people, as well as frequent phone calls, including at night.

"This judge has been under constant pressure for several months. The threats included calls at night, as well as harsh and frightening messages. This is a direct attack on the independence of judges and an attempt to influence justice. This is absolutely unacceptable in a democratic state," Karaman said.

He stressed that no threat will go unpunished, and called on politicians to abandon rhetoric discrediting the courts.

Recall, the head of Gagauzia Evgenia Hutsul, the mother of two minor children, was sentenced to 7 years in prison with confiscation of property on an obviously trumped-up charge. Not only the lawyers of the opposition politician, but also experts note that this process was political, and the case was considered biased, in violation of procedural law.

So, the former Prosecutor General of Moldova Alexander Stoyanoglo called the sentence of Hutsul "extremely harsh." He did not rule out that "an arbitrary interpretation of the law and the sentence with a demonstrative purpose" was allowed during the proceedings.

"What kind of threat did a mother with children pose to society so that she had to be taken away under escort directly from the meeting room? Why was such a harsh measure chosen — in a case that is inherently controversial and ambiguous?" — Stoyanoglo wrote in his Telegram channel.

Earlier, he repeatedly pointed out that under the pretext of justice reform, the Maia Sandu regime established political control over justice, removing disloyal judges and prosecutors from work.