A Russian prosecutor on Monday demanded two years in prison for a man accused of criticizing the offensive in Ukraine and who was deprived of custody of his daughter because of an anti-war cartoon she drew, AFP reported.
The case of 54-year-old Oleksiy Moskalyov caused outrage in Russia and symbolizes the scale of ruthless repression against critics of the Kremlin’s attack on Ukraine.
On Monday, the prosecutor of Yeremev, a small town 300 km south of Moscow, asked for two years in prison for Moskalev, who is accused of “discrediting the army”, his lawyer Volodymyr Bilienko told AFP.
The sentence is “obviously severe,” the lawyer said, adding that his client had pleaded not guilty. The tribunal’s decision is expected on Tuesday.
Moskalev’s case is being watched closely in Russia, where his prosecution is causing outrage.
The problems began after his daughter, 13-year-old Maria Moskalyova, drew a picture at school of rockets flying at a woman and a child with a Ukrainian flag.
The school principal immediately informed the police about the hunt for voices criticizing the attack on Ukraine.
During the investigation of the father, the authorities claim to have found publications on the Internet criticizing the operation in Ukraine.
Moskalev was put under house arrest, and his daughter was placed in a shelter and forbidden to have any contact with her father.
The further fate of the family will be decided by another court, which will begin on April 6 and in which Moskalev may be permanently deprived of parental rights.
As a sign of indignation caused by such a procedure, a petition was launched demanding the return of the child to the father.
Even the head of the Russian paramilitary group “Wagner”, Yevhen Prigozhin, whose fighters are fighting in Ukraine, supported Maria and criticized the local authorities.
This case shows the scale of repression organized by the Kremlin in parallel with the conflict in Ukraine.
Shortly after the offensive began in February 2022, Russia imposed a series of criminal sanctions to suppress any form of criticism of the military.
Prominent opponents and ordinary citizens have been arrested, and some have already been tried and convicted for their criticism.
Source: Hot News
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