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Russian father had his daughter taken away after she drew an anti-war picture in art class, reports say

Sophia Ankel   

Russian father had his daughter taken away after she drew an anti-war picture in art class, reports say
  • A Russian sixth-grader drew an anti-war painting in her art class, Meduza reported Tuesday.
  • The girl was placed in a shelter and the father charged with "discrediting" Russia, Meduza said.

A Russian single father had he daughter taken away and placed in a shelter after she drew an anti-war picture in art class, according to multiple reports.

Aleksey Moskalev, from the city of Yefremov in Russia's Tula region, was charged for "discrediting" the army in December after his daughter, Masha, protested the war at school and online, the independent Russian media Meduza reported on Tuesday.

Masha first protested the war in April 2022 when her sixth-grade art teacher assigned everyone to draw pictures in support of Russian troops in Ukraine, Meduza reported.

Instead, Masha drew the Russian flag with the words "No to War" and the Ukrainian flag with the words "Glory to Ukraine," the outlet said. The artwork also featured a woman with a child, holding up her hands as rockets were flying from the Russian flag, a photo published by another independent Russian outlet, OVD-Info, shows.

After the painting was reported to the principal of the school, Masha was taken to the police several times, and her father was called in to speak to officials from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

Moskalev said that "for three and a half hours, [FSB officers] told me that I'm raising my daughter incorrectly; they said they were going to take her from me and put me in jail," Meduza reported.

Several months later, on December 30, Moskalevs' home was searched and ransacked by FSB officials who also took all of the family's savings and snapped pictures of the anti-war drawing, Meduza reported. They took Masha to a children's shelter, it added.

Moskalev's lawyer told OVD-Info that he was interrogated and told that his daughter had also made anti-war comments on the Russian social media outlet VKontakte. He was charged with a felony charge of "discrediting" the Russian army, the lawyer said.

Moskalev was able to retrieve Masha from the children's center a few days later and both have since left Yefremov, Meduza reported. It is unclear where the family is now, but if convicted, Moskalev faces up to three years in prison, the outlet reported.

Moskalev's lawyer told OVD-Info that he hopes Moskalev will avoid jail time, but that "if the officers decide to be stubborn...they might put him in prison and send his daughter to an orphanage."

The lawyer said that he hopes Moskalev will avoid jail time, but that "if the officers decide to be stubborn ... they might put him in prison and send his daughter to an orphanage." The father said he has no other relatives who could look after Masha if he was sent to prison.

Since the start of the war last year, Russia has persecuted those who opposed the war in Ukraine. Under Russian law, using the words "war" and "invasion" can land someone in prison for up to 15 years.

Under Russian law, using the words "war" and "invasion" can land someone in prison for up to 15 years or a fine of 30,000 to 50,000 rubles ($400 - $650). Criminal charges are made if the offense is repeated within a year.



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