William Julié, alongside Gonzalo Boye, addressed the conviction of one of their clients, Ms. Evghenia Gutul, the elected governor of the autonomous region of Gagauzia (Moldova), to seven years’ imprisonment for illegal campaign financing, by a decision of the Court of Chisinau dated 5 August 2025.
He denounces the political instrumentalisation of criminal justice in a context marked by Moldova’s rapprochement with the European Union and the marginalisation of pro-Russian voices. He highlights numerous violations of Ms. Evghenia Gutul’s fundamental rights, including the right to a fair trial, equality of arms, judicial impartiality and independence, the prohibition of arbitrary detention, and the right to freedom of opinion. He stresses that these violations contravene Moldovan law, European and international human rights standards, and the core democratic and rule-of-law principles at the heart of European values.
Her legal team intends to pursue all available legal remedies, both at the national level and before the European Court of Human Rights and United Nations bodies.