Russian man jailed after daughter drew pro-Ukraine picture is released

Alexei Moskalyov, a 56-year-old Russian man, was detained in April 2022 after his 11-year-old daughter, Masha Moskalyova, drew a picture in support of Ukraine at school. The picture led to the family's troubles: the principal reported Masha to the police, and the Federal Security Service questioned her and her father. Later, investigators found comments critical of the Russian army on Alexei's social media, and he was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison for discrediting the army, with a reduction of two months on appeal. During his imprisonment, Alexei spent two months in a punitive isolation cell, which he described as a "torture chamber". After his release from a penal colony in March 2023, he was greeted by his daughter, journalists, and human rights defenders.