Ukraine war: How a Russian child's drawing sparked a police investigation

[Still Waters]

In the centre of the Russian town of Yefremov is a wall covered in pictures of war. Giant photographs of masked Russian soldiers with guns and supersized letters Z and V - symbols of the country's so-called special military operation in Ukraine.

There's a poem, too:

This is the official, patriotic picture of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

But in this town, 320km (200 miles) south of Moscow, you'll find another image of the Ukraine war. A very different one.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65015289

[Tatetopa]

Russia is not the only country where a child's school drawing could be reported and bring down police and government censure if the view is unpopular or against new laws.

[Still Waters]

A Russian single father whose daughter was reported for drawing an anti-war picture has been given a two-year jail term for discrediting the army.

Alexei *****ev, 53, was not in court in Yefremov for the verdict. The court press secretary said he had escaped house arrest.

"I don't know where he is," his lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko told the BBC.

His daughter Masha, 13, was sent to a children's home in early March when the criminal case began.

*****ev was accused of repeatedly criticising the Russian army on social media and had appeared in court the day before.

He is only the latest Russian to be given a jail term for discrediting the military but his case has attracted international attention because of the authorities' decision to remove his daughter from their home early in March.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65102392

[jmccr8]

This is sad to see and something that those in the west should be thankful for having the freedom to speak out about their government. Many members here would face the same treatment for what they have said about their government and their president, thinking mostly Americans given the combat zone that sub-forum is at times, which makes me wonder why some of them would be willing to condemn the Ukraine to such oppression.

[Alchopwn]

Don't you wish Putin was YOUR leader?  Don't you wish we had a totalitarian system like THEIRS?  Why is it that so many people who hate "big government" want to support a totalitarian like Putin?  Perhaps they think that a system that censors nearly everybody every day (like the CCP in China does) somehow won't censor them?

Edited March 29, 2023 by Alchopwn

[+Noteverythingisaconspiracy]

On 3/29/2023 at 7:51 AM, Alchopwn said:

Don't you wish Putin was YOUR leader?  Don't you wish we had a totalitarian system like THEIRS?  Why is it that so many people who hate "big government" want to support a totalitarian like Putin?  Perhaps they think that a system that censors nearly everybody every day (like the CCP in China does) somehow won't censor them?

Reminds me of this:

[Alchopwn]

14 hours ago, Noteverythingisaconspiracy said:

Reminds me of this:

It is somehow kind of appropriate that Martin Niemöller died in 1984, as he would never have survived the book.

[Still Waters]

A Russian girl who was taken away from her father after she drew an anti-war picture at school has been handed to her estranged mother, authorities say.

Russia's children's commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova said teenager Masha *****eva had at first not wanted to go to her mother, but changed her mind.

Her father Alexei received a jail sentence as a result of the drawing, but his whereabouts are unknown.

The mother has been estranged from the family for at least seven years, but it is not clear why, Reuters news agency reports.

A court hearing was held on Thursday in Mr *****ev's home town of Yefremov, 300km (185 miles) south of Moscow, into restricting his parental rights.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65200649