Moldova has accused the Russian embassy of organizing the escape of Aleksandr Nesterovsky to the breakaway region of Transnistria, just as he was about to be sentenced on charges of illegal political financing.
The case of Alexander Nesterovsky is the latest in which Moldova's pro-European government has accused Russia of interfering in its domestic politics. Moscow has rejected the accusations.
In a statement, the Russian embassy said the allegations of interference in the MP's case were unfounded and unacceptable. It said it called on Moldovan authorities to "refrain from provocative speculation," Reuters reported.
Moldova's security service released a video showing Nesterovski entering the embassy in Chisinau on March 18, the day before a court sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
He was found guilty of illegally channeling money to a pro-Russian party linked to fugitive businessman Ilan Shor in the 2023 local elections, as well as the 2024 presidential election and a national referendum on Moldova's EU membership aspirations.
Nesterovsky denied the accusations, calling them politically motivated.
The security service said that on the day of the sentencing, Nesterovsky was driven in a white car with diplomatic plates, which is also seen in the video, to the Russian-backed region of Transnistria, which broke away from Moldovan control in the early 1990s.
"This type of activity is part of the mechanism of hybrid aggression directed against the Republic of Moldova," Alexandru Musteata, director of the Moldovan Security and Intelligence Service, said at a briefing.
The government of Moldova, which aims to join the European Union by 2030, has repeatedly accused Russia of interfering and trying to destabilize it.
This fall, Moldova is holding parliamentary elections that will test the popularity of the pro-European government's course.
Moldovan authorities said Tuesday they had arrested Eugenia Gutul, the pro-Russian governor of Moldova's Gagauzia region, on charges of illegal political financing while she was trying to leave the country. Gutul said the charges were politically motivated.
The court then ordered her to be detained for at least 30 days.
Police say another MP, Irina Lozovan, who faces similar charges, is hiding from law enforcement. Lozovan also said the charges are politically motivated.
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