TALLINN, Estonia — A Russian court docket on Tuesday convicted a single father over social media posts criticizing the struggle in Ukraine and sentenced him to 2 years in jail — a case delivered to the eye of authorities by his daughter’s drawings in opposition to the invasion at college, in accordance with his lawyer and activists.

The case of Alexei Moskalyov, who was indicted and tried in his hometown of Yefremov, about 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) south of Moscow, has drawn worldwide consideration and is a grim indication that the Kremlin is intensifying its crackdown on dissent, focusing on extra individuals and handing out harsher punishments for any expression of criticism of the struggle.

In a twist to the case, the 54-year-old Moskalyov fled home arrest in a single day, court docket officers stated, and wasn’t current for the end result of his trial. He had been carrying a bracelet that tracked his actions however apparently had taken it off.

Moskalyov was accused of repeatedly discrediting the Russian military, a felony offense in accordance to a legislation Russian authorities adopted shortly after sending troops into Ukraine.

He was indicted over a sequence of social media posts about Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine and referencing the “terrorist” regime in Moscow. However, in accordance with his lawyer and activists who supported him all through the case and trial, his troubles began final spring after his 13-year-old daughter, Maria, drew an antiwar image at college that stated, “Glory to Ukraine.”

In April 2022, Moskalyov was fined for his crucial feedback on social media. His condominium was raided in December and a felony case was opened in opposition to him this month. He was positioned underneath home arrest and his daughter was taken away from him and positioned into an orphanage.

On the trial, which was quickly concluded in sooner or later on Monday, Moskalyov rejected the accusations and insisted that he had nothing to do with the social media posts in query.

Moskalyov’s lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko instructed reporters after the listening to that he discovered of his consumer’s disappearance on the court docket listening to. Moskalyov was scheduled to look in court docket once more subsequent week at a listening to on a petition to strip him off of his parental rights.

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Comply with AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine