Russia: daughter painted anti-war picture: father should be in prison for two years

In Russia, a public prosecutor has demanded two years in prison for a single father for “repeatedly discrediting the army” – apparently also in connection with an anti-war picture of his daughter.

The man’s guilt was proven by his entries in social networks, said the prosecutor, as reported by the independent Internet portal Mediazone from the courtroom. After the prison sentence, he is also to be banned from the internet for three years. The case caused a stir in Russia because the underage daughter was taken to the children’s home because of her war protests.

Officially, the allegations against the 54-year-old from the city of Yefremov in the Tula region south of Moscow revolve around his posts on social networks. There he is said to have repeatedly criticized Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The accused denies the allegations. According to him, his account was hacked.

The case started in the spring of 2022 with a picture of his daughter in drawing class. When the teacher asked the children to draw pictures in support of Russian forces in Ukraine, the then 12-year-old instead drew a Russian and Ukrainian flag, which she captioned the slogans “No to war” and “Glory to Ukraine.” As a result, a day later, her father was taken to the police station for the first time and fined him.

When his daughter’s comments critical of the war also appeared on the Internet in the winter, the authorities searched the man’s apartment and initiated criminal proceedings. The girl was taken to a children’s home, the father is threatened with withdrawal of the duty of care.