Russia convicts father of teen who drew antiwar picture

TALLINN, Estonia — A Russian court on Tuesday convicted a single father over social media posts critical of the war in Ukraine and sentenced him to two years in prison — a case brought against him after his daughter’s drawing at school opposed the invasion, according to his lawyer and activists. His 13-year-old daughter Maria, who has been taken from him by the authorities, wrote him a supportive letter for his trial from the orphanage where she is living, according to his lawyer, telling him, “Daddy, you’re my hero.” Moskalyov’s case has drawn international attention and was a grim reminder that the Kremlin is intensifying its crackdown on dissent, targeting more people and handing out harsher punishments for any criticism of the war. At the trial, which concluded in one day on Monday, three teachers and the director of Maria’s school testified that they found Moskalyov’s “discrediting” social media posts at random and that Maria’s drawing had nothing to do with the case — contradicting the accounts of his lawyer and other supporters. When an official announced in court Tuesday that Moskalyov had fled, some in attendance shouted, “Bravo!” Moskalyov’s lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko said he learned of his client’s disappearance at the hearing. The lawyer described the prosecution of Moskalyov as “bullying of the family.” The lawyer visited Maria in the orphanage Tuesday and told reporters that while he wasn’t able to see her, local administrators allowed him to photograph a letter she wrote to her father, which ended with, “Daddy, you’re my hero.” Biliyenko also was given two drawings Maria made, depicting a dog and rabbits.