The Russian father of a girl who had painted an anti-war picture, who was sentenced to two years in prison, was arrested while trying to escape, according to his lawyer. “Yes, he was taken into custody,” lawyer Dmitry Zakvatov said today, according to Reuters. He did not give details. Alexei Moskalyov fled from house arrest on Tuesday night before the sentence was announced.
The Russian-language news portal Sota reported that the 54-year-old had been arrested in Minsk, the capital of Russia’s ally Belarus. Moskalyov was found guilty of discrediting the army with statements on social networks.
However, he only came to the attention of the authorities after his then 12-year-old daughter drew a picture at school in April showing Russian missiles flying towards a Ukrainian mother and child. The school administration called the police.
In early March, Moskalyov was placed under house arrest and separated from his daughter. The now 13-year-old was taken to a children’s home. Shortly after beginning its invasion of Ukraine, Russia enacted laws against discrediting the armed forces and knowingly spreading false information about the soldiers. There are penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment.
