Police in Russian-annexed Crimea have charged a woman with child neglect after her 10-year-old daughter allegedly posted a video online that “discredited” the Russian army, authorities said on Wednesday.
The video, shared on Russian Telegram channels, showed a girl choosing between Russian and Ukrainian flags, with an angry-face emoji next to the Russian flag and a heart emoji next to the Ukrainian one.
Police identified the girl as a 10-year-old schoolgirl from the western Crimean city of Saky. “Taking into account the age of the schoolgirl, her 38-year-old mother will be held administratively liable,” the local branch of the interior ministry said.
Police have charged her with “failure to fulfil obligations for the maintenance and upbringing” of a child and will hand materials related to the case to child protection services, the ministry said. The charge carries a fine of up to 500 rubles (£4) or a warning.
Russia has jailed, fined and arrested thousands of people for breaking strict censorship laws that ban criticism of the army since the Ukraine conflict began, a crackdown that rights groups say is reminiscent of the Soviet period.
In March 2023, a Russian man, Alexei Moskalyov, was sentenced to two years in prison after his young daughter drew Russian missiles raining down on a Ukrainian mother and child in an art class.
Moskalyov was released earlier this month and alleged he had been subjected to dire conditions in prison, including being kept in an isolation cell for two months with “huge rats” crawling around.
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Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 but is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.