MOSCOW 

The People's Assembly, or parliament, in Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia protested a sentence on Thursday for regional leader Yevgenia Gutul that was announced by a court in the nation’s capital of Chisinau.

The court sentenced Gutul to seven years in prison on Tuesday on charges of violations in financing the opposition Shor party.

The Gagauzia parliament summoned an extraordinary meeting on Thursday and adopted a resolution confirming Gutul's legitimacy and refusing to recognize the sentence.

"The People's Assembly of Gagauzia together with the Executive Committee of Gagauzia decides: ... to acknowledge the legitimacy of the powers of Yevgenia Aleksandrovna Gutsul as Head (Bashkan) of Gagauzia and demand her immediate release from custody (or cancellation of restrictive measure)," it said in a document that was published on the legislative body’s website.

The Gagauzia parliament also described the sentence as "an attempt to eliminate the autonomy" and placed full responsibility for any possible escalation in prosecution on Moldovan authorities.

Gutul called the sentence "political persecution."