Fears are growing for a Russian girl who was taken from her father after she took an anti-war photo at school. The single father is now missing after escaping house arrest under Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Alexei Moskalyov, 54, escaped on Tuesday after being sentenced to two years in prison for “discrediting” the Russian military after his online activities were investigated by police in the small town of Yefremov, south of Moscow.
Earlier this month, his 13-year-old daughter, Maria, was taken from him and placed in a local orphanage. The couple had not been in touch and their lawyers were now worried about their uncertain future.
Moskalyov came to the attention of authorities last April after Maria, then 12, took a photo at school of Russian rockets raining down on a Ukrainian mother and her child.
Today, after international condemnation, the Kremlin maintained what many saw as a harsh condemnation of Moskalyov, denouncing his “deplorable parentage.”
Fears grow for 13-year-old Maria Moskalyova, a Russian girl taken from her father after she took an anti-war photo at school
Single father Alexei Moskalyov, 54, escaped on Tuesday after being sentenced to two years in prison for “discrediting” the Russian military
But in a bizarre twist, Moskalyov’s conviction was overturned by the leader of the dreaded Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has traditionally been close to Putin.
In a surprise intervention, Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner’s private army fighting for Russia in Ukraine, called the sentence “unjust, especially considering that his daughter Masha will be forced to grow up in an orphanage .”
Prigozhin even asked the prosecutor’s office to review the verdict, and also called on lawyers associated with Wagner to cooperate with Moskalyov’s defense.
Moskalyov’s lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko said he supported both motions, although he was unsure of Prigozhin’s motives. “I am willing to accept any help that will help my client,” he said.
Later on Wednesday, Prigozhin angrily rejected the idea that he was motivated by “political ambitions” in a short, forceful audio message.
The case has drawn international attention as Moscow cracks down on dissent as Putin’s forces wage a brutal war in Ukraine.
Moskalyov’s lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko said he did not know where his client was and that he had been denied access to Maria but had received drawings from her.
He also confirmed the authenticity of a letter from Maria to her father that was posted on social media.
In a bizarre twist, Moskalyov’s sentence was commuted by the head of the dreaded Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin
“I love you very much and know that you are not to blame for anything,” reads the letter.
“Everything will be fine and we will be together. You are my hero,” it said.
She called him “the bravest man in the world”.
Biliyenko said it is now “difficult to predict” what will happen to Maria as a court is scheduled to rule on the restriction of the 54-year-old father’s parental rights on April 6.
“We will do everything we can to defend (Moskalyov) against these allegations,” the lawyer said.
He criticized Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova and Justice Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova for not intervening in the case.
“This is where a child’s fate is decided and they are not interested,” he said.
A local human rights activist, Yelena Agafonova, said she was ready to take the girl in.
Moskalyov looks out the window of his apartment after being placed under house arrest (dated March 23)
“We will apply for custody of Masha (a diminutive of Maria), we are preparing the documents,” she told reporters.
She believed the case was a “showcase to show what will happen to those who disagree” with Moscow’s Ukraine campaign.
The Russian human rights organization Memorial, which has been closed by Russian authorities, said it considered Moskalyov a “political prisoner”.
Maria, or Masha as she is known, took a peace photo last April.
The principal of her school called the police, who investigated and fined her father for making critical comments about the Russian military.
He was then investigated a second time last December on suspicion of discrediting the armed forces, a crime passed into law shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine last year.
Vladimir Bilyenko, lawyer of Alexei Moskalyov. Biliyenko said it is now “difficult to predict” what will happen to Maria
Moskalyov’s current whereabouts are unknown. A human rights lawyer, Dmitri Zakhvatov, said on Wednesday that Moskalyov had contacted him and sent him a copy of a letter Masha had written to him from the orphanage where she had been living since early March.
“Hello Dad, I’m really begging you not to get sick and not to worry. I’m fine, I love you very much and I know that nothing is your fault. I’m always by your side and everything you do is right,” she wrote.
The letter, neatly written on lined paper, ended with “I love you” in English and the words “you are a hero” inside a roughly drawn heart.
Prosecutors in Tula, south of Moscow, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Prigozhin’s request and the investigation into Moskalyov’s escape.
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
