Moskalyov, whose baby drew an anti-war image, was sentenced to jail for discrediting the Russia military however had fled.

A Russian father, who was separated from his daughter over a Ukraine-themed faculty drawing, has been detained in Belarus after fleeing home arrest in Russia, Belarusian authorities mentioned.

Alexei Moskalyov, a 54-year-old single father from the city of Yefremov south of Moscow, fled home arrest this week simply earlier than a courtroom handed him a two-year sentence for “discrediting” the Russian military.

“Moskalyov has been detained … following a request from Russian police” and is at the moment being held in Belarus, a spokeswoman for the Belarusian inside ministry was cited as saying by Russian information companies on Thursday.

Lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov mentioned Moskalyov had been arrested within the capital Minsk, almost definitely because of turning on his cell phone and freely giving his location.

“Apparently somebody made a mistake, possibly it was attributable to him utilizing a cell phone,” mentioned Zakhvatov, who had been in touch with Moskalyov. “Probably it was attributable to him utilizing a cell phone improperly,” he advised the Reuters information company.

Moskalyov first got here to the authorities’ consideration final yr after his daughter Maria, now 13, drew an image at college displaying missiles subsequent to a Russian flag heading in direction of a girl and baby standing by a Ukrainian flag.

Her head instructor contacted the police.

A prison case was later opened towards the daddy for allegedly criticising Russia’s assault on Ukraine on social media.

On Tuesday, he was sentenced to 2 years in jail for “discrediting” the Russian military. Moskalyov was not current within the courtroom, having fled home arrest earlier than the sentencing.

Maria was taken away from him in March and positioned in an area “rehabilitation centre” for minors, with the pair denied contact.

The case has garnered nationwide consideration, as Moscow cracks down on criticism of the offensive in Ukraine.

Moskalyov’s lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko has mentioned it’s now “tough to foretell” what’s going to occur to Maria.

Moskalyov is prone to shedding parental rights in a separate trial set to start on April 6.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has defended Moskalyov’s sentencing, describing the daddy’s parenting as “deplorable”.

However in a letter printed on social media Maria known as her father “the bravest individual on the planet”.

Russia’s high human rights organisation Memorial, which has been outlawed by the authorities, mentioned it thought of Moskalyov a “political prisoner”.

Memorial mentioned that his case was “an try to intimidate all opponents” of the battle.