PHOTOS: 'You are a hero.' Alexey Moskalev's daughter writes a letter to her father

Alexey Moskalev, the father of student Masha Moskaleva who painted an anti-war picture, has been sentenced to two years in a penal colony. According to Mediazona, the Tula regional Efremov inter-district court made this decision. He was convicted under the Russian army's double 'discrediting' article (part 1 of article 280.3 of the Russian Criminal Code).

The judge also announced that Moskalev's daughter is being transferred to the care of social services. The prosecutor's office had called for a two-year prison sentence for Moskalev. He was not present at the announcement of the verdict as he had fled from house arrest.

Court spokeswoman Olga Dyachuk stated that he escaped from house arrest on the night before the verdict was announced. Masha Moskaleva had painted an anti-war picture in an art class with the inscriptions 'No to war' and 'Glory to Ukraine' in April 2022. The artwork depicted a woman with a Ukrainian flag protecting a child from rockets. The day after the class, police took Moskalev and his daughter from school.

At the department, he learned that a report had been drawn up against him for 'discrediting' the army due to a comment made on 'Odnoklassniki'. The text of the comment was: 'The Russian army. Criminals are with us.' According to this report, the court fined Moskalev 32,000 rubles.

Lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov mentioned that Alexey Moskalev contacted him the day before his sentencing for the 'discrediting' case but fled from house arrest. He requested that the lawyer publish a letter from his daughter, Masha. It reads: 'Daddy, hello, I ask you not to get sick and not to worry. I am doing well, I love you very much and know that you are not guilty of anything, I am always with you and everything you do is right. Know that we will win, that victory will be ours, no matter what happens, we are together, we are a team, you are the best.'

'You are my father, the smartest, the most beautiful, the kindest dad in the world. Know that there is no one better than you. Please, just don’t give up. Believe, hope, and love,' the letter continues.

It’s worth noting that 53-year-old Alexey Moskalev from the Tula region escaped from house arrest before the announcement of the verdict in the case of discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, according to TASS citing the court’s press service. Preliminary information indicates that the man cut off his electronic bracelet and fled.

The court sentenced Moskalev to two years in prison for publishing posts on social media that discredited the Russian Armed Forces. It should be noted that the man is raising his child alone. Following his arrest, Moskalev's daughter was transferred to a social rehabilitation center.