Alexey Moskalyov, who lost custody of his 13-year-old daughter and was sentenced to two years in prison for “defamation” of the Russian military, has left Russia, authorities announced today.

This case has become a symbol of the merciless repression of those who oppose the military operation launched 13 months ago by Russia in Ukraine. But it took a new turn today when a court in the town of Efremov, 300 kilometers south of Moscow, announced that Moskalyov, who had been under house arrest since March 1, had left the country.

“The verdict was read in the absence of the accused, because he has disappeared and did not appear at the trial”said the press representative of the court, Elena Mikhailovskaya.

Earlier, the court found Moskalyov, 54, guilty of defaming the Russian armed forces and sentenced him to two years in prison, the sentence recommended by the prosecutor.

According to a spokeswoman for the court, Moskalyov escaped on the night of Monday into Tuesday. His lawyer, Vladimir Bilienko, said he last saw him on Monday.

The non-governmental organization Memorial denounced the “repression” against Moskalyov and his daughter, considering it an “attempt to intimidate all those who oppose the war”. “We consider Moskalyov a political prisoner,” added the organization, which was disbanded by Russian judicial authorities last year.

He was sued by his child’s school

The case began when Maria, Moskalyov’s 13-year-old daughter, in a drawing of hers, at school, had missiles aimed at a woman and a child carrying the Ukrainian flag. As part of the prosecution of those who disagree with the war in Ukraine, the school principal immediately called the police.

During the investigation against the father, the authorities claim that they found his posts on the internet in which he criticized the war. For this he was prosecuted for “defamation of the army”. His daughter was taken to a juvenile home and forbidden to have any contact with him.

The future of the family will be decided at another trial on April 6, where Moskalyov risks losing his parental rights permanently. His lawyer told AFP today that Maria could be sent to an orphanage within the next month.

In a sign of the outrage this case has caused, a petition has been posted online – despite pressure from the authorities – calling for the child to be returned to his father. Even the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose mercenaries are fighting on the front lines in Ukraine, expressed his support for Maria and criticized the local authorities.