As of: 03/28/2023 6:31 p.m
In Russia, a father has been sentenced to two years in prison for criticizing the war in Ukraine. The case started after his daughter drew a picture at school that said “Glory to Ukraine.”
A Russian court has sentenced a single father to two years in absentia for criticizing the war in Ukraine. Alexey Moskalyov was found guilty of “discrediting” the Russian army in the online networks, said his lawyer Vladimir Bilenko. According to the lawyer and activists, drawings by the daughter first attracted the attention of the authorities last spring.
At school, the then 13-year-old drew an anti-war picture with the words “Glory to Ukraine.” According to the news agencies AFP and Reuters, it also shows Russian missiles aimed at a Ukrainian mother and child. The school administration immediately called the police.
As a result, the father was taken to the police station for the first time a day later and a fine was imposed on him. When his daughter’s comments critical of the war surfaced on the Internet in the winter, the authorities searched Moskalyov’s apartment and initiated criminal proceedings because he had criticized Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine – according to the allegation.
Moskalyov denied the allegations, saying that access to his computer had been used by others without his knowledge.
Father could lose custody altogether
Moskalyov has been under house arrest since March, and custody of his daughter was temporarily withdrawn. According to the court, the 54-year-old is said to have escaped from arrest during the night. He was not present when the verdict was pronounced. He wore an electronic wristband for surveillance, but apparently took it off. When the news of his escape broke, there was applause in the courtroom.
According to Moskalyov’s lawyer, his client could finally lose custody in another trial in early April. According to him, the girl has now been placed under guardianship and could now be taken to an orphanage “within a month”.
Media reports on staged proceedings
Independent media reported from the courtroom of a staged trial with rehearsed incriminating testimonies from alleged witnesses. No evidence was presented. The Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky commented that the power apparatus used the father to punish the child, who was not prosecuted by the law.
The case caused a stir in Russia. Observers take the verdict as a sign that the Kremlin is stepping up its crackdown on dissenting opinions, targeting more and more people and tightening penalties for statements critical of the war. During the war, Russia passed strict laws and made criticism of the army a punishable offense.