In a court hearing in the regional capital of Tula on Monday, a Russian man named Alexei Moskalyov, who had been investigated by the police following his daughter’s anti-war drawing at school, expressed his willingness to face capital punishment rather than being separated from her.

Earlier this year, Moskalyov was sentenced to two years in a penal colony for discrediting the Russian army. However, he fled house arrest in Yefremov, a town in the Tula region, and sought refuge in Belarus. He was quickly apprehended and extradited back to Russia.

During the appeal hearing, Moskalyov delivered an emotional speech, expressing the anguish he feels at being separated from his teenage daughter, Masha, stating that his “heart bleeds every day.” He further conveyed his preference for the death penalty.

Despite his heartfelt plea, the court upheld the original two-year sentence and added a two-year ban on Moskalyov’s internet usage, according to his lawyer, Vladimir Biliyenko.

Biliyenko stated that Moskalyov’s impassioned words were a genuine reflection of his emotions. The absence of his daughter for an extended period has deeply affected him, and he views her as his reason for living. While he attempted to appeal to the court’s humanity, his plea did not succeed.

Moskalyov’s conviction stems from alleged online comments he made regarding Russia’s involvement in the war in Ukraine. However, the investigation began after his daughter, Masha, then 12 years old, drew a picture portraying Russian missiles striking a Ukrainian mother and child. The drawing led the school’s head to involve the police.

The case gained international attention when Masha was separated from her father and placed in a children’s home before his trial. Currently, she resides with her mother, who is estranged from Moskalyov. However, the father and daughter can still correspond through written letters.

A family support group revealed that there were tears in the courtroom as Moskalyov read aloud a letter from Masha, proclaiming him the best father in the world and assuring him that they would be together, no matter what.

Biliyenko explained that Moskalyov could be transferred from investigative detention to a penal colony at any time, but they intend to continue appealing the case through higher courts, vowing to fight until the end.