Alexey Moskalyov whose daughter drew anti-war picture at school sentenced to two years in prison, allegedly escapes arrest

A court in Yefremov, Russia’s Tula region, has sentenced Alexey Moskalyov, a man whose daughter drew an anti-war picture at school in 2022, to two years in prison for “discrediting the Russian military”.

The court recognized the fact that Moskalev had an underage daughter as a mitigating circumstance, but the prosecutor pointed out that the “crime” was committed during the “special operation”, which is considered an aggravating circumstance.

“The verdict was pronounced today, but the accused individual was not present because he escaped [house arrest] last night,” Mediazona cites Olga Dyachuk, the court’s press secretary.

UPDATE
16:50 UTC+3 Alexey Moskalyov escaped house arrest at around 4:40 a.m. local time today, Podyom cites the local Penal Service. His whereabouts are being investigated.

“On 28 March at 4:41, the accused Moskalyov violated the restriction, which was recorded by means of supervision and control systems. At 8:00 a.m., an officer noticed that Moskalev had been absent from his house arrest location and immediately reported this to the Tula Region Federal Penitentiary Service, law enforcement agencies, and the court, ”the statement said.

the agency also noted that Moskalyov also violated his restriction before.

Moskalyov has been under house arrest since the beginning of March due to being charged with repeated “discreditation” of the Russian army. The criminal case was initiated because of his anti-war posts shared online.

Moskalyov was detained on 1 March; his daughter Masha was sent to an orphanage in Yefremov. The town’s social rehabilitation centre later clarified that Masha would not be “allowed” to leave the children’s home to return to her father. Currently, the case on restriction of Moskalyov’s parental rights is being considered in court.

In April 2022, the girl drew an anti-war picture — she drew the Russian and Ukrainian flags and wrote the slogan “No to war” — during an art class at school. Afterwards, the FSB officers had a talk with her, while a protocol on “discrediting” the Russian army was drawn up against her father whose anti-war posts and comments had been discovered online.