There is no mercy in Russia against those who dare to express their opposition or rejection of the military intervention in Ukraine. The latest sentence handed down by the Russian judiciary to discredit the army proves it. A father arrested after his daughter drew a picture at school with the slogan “No to war” was sentenced this Tuesday to two years in prison for discrediting the armed forces in several messages on social networks. But the man, separated from his daughter for a month, did not wait for the predictable sentence and escaped in the early morning from the house arrest in which he was confined.
Aleksei Moskaliov, a 53-year-old separated father, lived with his 13-year-old daughter Maisha in the small and quiet town of Yefremov (population 37,000), 320 kilometers south of Moscow, in Tula Oblast.
His life suddenly changed in April, shortly after the Kremlin pushed through a law that would jail anyone who criticizes its troops’ actions against Ukraine. Maria Moskaliova, Maixa, showed the class a drawing in which appeared several missiles fired at a family with the Ukrainian flag, in which she wrote “Glory to Ukraine”. Next to the projectiles he drew a Russian flag and wrote “No to war”.
And then she called the police, who questioned the girl and threatened the father to take away custody of his daughter. Then, the agents began to investigate the father’s activity on the Internet. They discovered several anti-war posts on the Odnoklásniki social network.
Moskaliov was initially fined 35,000 rubles (420 euros) for comments critical of the Russian military. In December, investigators opened another case against him on suspicion of discrediting the armed forces in a June entry. On March 1, Aleksei Moskaliov was arrested. He himself reported that he was assaulted at the police station. The judges imposed house arrest as a precautionary measure. But without his daughter. The authorities decided to separate the family. The social services sent Maixa Moskaliova to a juvenile center, where she has not been allowed to communicate with her father or receive visitors, explained the independent deputy Olga. The only contact has been the defense lawyer of his parent, Vladímir Bilidjenko. On March 12, the Iefrémov Juvenile Affairs Commission filed a lawsuit to withdraw parental authority from the father. The same measure was filed against the mother, who does not live with them.
Since it began, the case has sparked backlash among Russian human rights activists and an online campaign to reunite father and daughter. This, despite everything, has not stopped the judicial machine, like any machine alien to any feeling.
The trial against Aleksei Moskaliov began on Monday. He attended and pleaded not guilty. A day later he was already convicted and sentenced to two years in prison, and three years without being able to use the internet. However, they could not communicate the sentence. The secretary of the court announced that he had escaped and was in an unknown whereabouts.
What will happen now with little Maixa?
His fate will be decided next month. The court has set April 6 as the date for the trial that can deprive his father of parental authority. According to Bilidjenko, social services will consider possible requests for shelter from relatives and other interested parties. They could also send her to an orphanage.
According to a video published by the independent media Sota.vision, Bilidjenko visited her on Tuesday at the juvenile center. He returned with drawings he had made for his father. He also photographed a letter he had written to her. It reads: “Dad, you are my hero”.
