A man in Russia has recently been released from prison after serving a 22-month sentence for undermining the military, stemming from his daughter’s artwork criticizing Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. Alexei Moskalyov’s case gained attention due to social media posts he shared, along with his daughter’s school project condemning military activities in Ukraine, prompting legal action against him. Initially given a two-year prison term, Moskalyov tried to flee but was captured in Belarus and returned to Russia, where his sentence was eventually reduced to one year and ten months by a court.
According to the monitoring organization OVD-Info, which monitors political detentions in Russia, Moskalyov mentioned that prior to his release, members of the Federal Security Service questioned fellow inmates in his cell, possibly seeking information for potential new charges against him. Since the conflict in Ukraine began in February 2022, the Russian government has escalated its crackdown on criticism of military operations. Several prominent war critics, some facing lengthy prison sentences like one individual receiving 25 years, were released and left the country during a major prisoner exchange with Western countries in August.
