Court not to restrict parental rights for parents of Masha Moskalyova who drew anti-war picture in school

A court in Yefremov, Russia’s Tula region, has dismissed the lawsuit that could have potentially restricted parental rights for parents of Masha Moskalyova, a local girl who drew an anti-war doodle in school last year, Vladimir Bilienko, the lawyer of Alexey Moskalyov, has told Novaya-Europe.

The local commission for juvenile affairs withdrew its claim to restrict parental rights a short while ago.

Svetlana Davydova, the chairwoman of the commission, said that the initial goal was to “protect the interests of the girl, including her right to education,” and that now Masha lives with her mother and continues her education. “They have a good relationship,” says Davydova.

Bilienko said as he spoke to Novaya-Europe that this decision is “a stepping stone in the struggle for Alexey”, Masha’s father. The lawyer also noted that the defence will be using this verdict in the court of appeal as a narrative certificate.

“I am glad that common sense prevailed. I’m glad the commission for juvenile affairs which initiated this lawsuit realised that there were no grounds for it. Today, the prosecutor appeared in court, supporting the dismissal of the claim.

The court made a reasoned decision to dismiss this case, and it was the only decision possible in accordance with the law”,

Bilienko said.

The other day, lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov said that human rights activists were not able to find out Alexey Moskalyov’s whereabouts for six days after he was sentenced to two years in prison for “discrediting” the Russian military. Before the verdict, Aleksey escaped from house arrest, but he was soon detained in Minsk. On 12 April, a Belarusian human rights defender attempted to visit Moskalyov in a pre-trial facility in Zhodino, but was told that Alexey had been extradited to Russia.

Bilienko says that human rights activists have no procedural relationship with Moskalyov, so they may not be aware of his whereabouts. He also suggested that a human rights activist who came to the pre-trial detention centre could have been told that Moskalyov was no longer there so that he would not come there again.

Bilienko also added that it is unknown where Alexey Moskalyov is now. He was supposed to be transferred to a pre-trial jail in Tula, but he is not there as of today.

Alexey’s daughter Masha who drew an anti-war doodle in school last year was sent to an orphanage in March. She later sent a letter to her father.

“Hi Dad, I need you to stay healthy and calm. I’m okay, I love you so much and you should know that you did nothing wrong, I’ll always be on your side and I believe everything you do is right,” she wrote.

Masha was released from her orphanage and reunited with her mother on 5 April. “Maria did not want to stay with her mother at first, and her opinion has to be taken into account legally. Her stance has now changed, she told me over the phone herself,” Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Commissioner for human rights.

The girl’s mother told Bilienko over the phone yesterday that “Masha was doing alright” and that the two were to depart for a vacation in Crimea “after lunch”.