A Russian father is facing felony charges of "discrediting" the Russian army because his sixth-grade daughter drew an anti-war picture in art class, according to several media reports.
Alexey Moskalev, a 54-year-old single father and bird breeder in the town of Yefremov, also had his daughter, Masha, taken away and placed in a shelter, reported Russian independent Meduza.
In April, Masha's art teacher asked the class to draw pictures in support of Russia's troops in Ukraine. Masha drew a Russian flag with the words "No to war," as well as a Ukrainian flag that read, "Glory to Ukraine."
Masha's drawing also showed missiles flying from the Russian side toward a woman and child on the Ukrainian side.
After seeing the drawing, the teacher notified the school's director, who called the police.
Masha used a fake name to avoid the police that day. Alexey went to the school the next day and waited in the hallway for his daughter. Police and officials from child protective services soon arrived. They took Masha out of her classes and took her, along with her father, to the local police chief.
Alexey was questioned by police and charged with "discrediting" the Russian army for posts and comments he had made on social media. He was fined about $430 for a comment that read, "The Russian army. The rapists right next to us," Meduza reported.
Afraid to go to school the next day, Masha finally went after being persuaded by her father.
That day, Moskalev received a call from someone at the school, who told him that Masha had been taken by Federal Security Service (FSB) officers and that he needed to report to the school immediately.
"I got dressed and rushed there. I was met by FSB officers. I asked, 'Where's my daughter?' They responded that she was being interviewed in the next office over," Moskalev said, Meduza reported. "For three and a half hours, they told me that I'm raising my daughter incorrectly; they said they were going to take her from me and put me in jail."
After that, Masha stopped going to school. On Dec. 30, police showed up at the family's home with a search warrant.
The officials ransacked their house and took Masha to a children's shelter.
Alexey was taken to the FSB office to be interrogated. He told journalists that officers beat his "head against the wall and against the floor" before leaving him in the interrogation room for 2½ hours with the Russian national anthem playing at full volume.
Alexey was able to retrieve Masha from the children's center a few days later. Both have since left Yefremov, Meduza reported.
If convicted, Alexey faces up to three years in prison, the outlet reported.
Alexey's lawyer told OVD-Info that he hopes Alexey will avoid jail time, but that "if the officers decide to be stubborn — our justice system often gives in to what they want — they might put him in prison and send his daughter to an orphanage."
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