Aleksei Moskalyov, who was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison by Russia for „discrediting the Russian army” and deprived of his parental rights after anti-war drawings by his 13-year-old daughter drew attention to his online posts about the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, has been extradited to Russia, the rights group OVD-Info cited a Belarusian lawyer as saying on April 12.
Moskalyov first came to the authorities’ attention last year after his daughter Maria, now 13, drew a picture at school showing missiles next to a Russian flag heading towards a woman and child standing by a Ukrainian flag.
Her head teacher contacted the police.
A criminal case was later opened against the father for allegedly criticising Russia’s assault on Ukraine on social media.
Maria was taken away from him in March and placed in a local “rehabilitation centre” for minors, denied contact with her father, before being handed over to her mother, who has long been separated from Moskalyov.
Rights groups had urged Belarus not to extradite Moskalyov, reports Radio Free Europe.
Moskalyov’s lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko has said it is now „difficult to predict”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has defended Moskalyov’s sentencing, describing the father’s parenting as „deplorable”.
In an open letter published on social media, Maria called her father „the bravest person in the world”.
