By RFE/RL's Russian Service

A Russian court on June 13 sentenced blogger Vladislav Sinitsa to an additional 2 1/2 years in prison on extremism charges just ahead of his scheduled release on July 1. Investigators say Sinitsa, who was serving a five-year prison term he was handed in 2019 on charges of inciting violence against children of National Guard officers online, opened an account on the X social media platform while in prison and used it to condemn Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Sinitsa denied any relation to the X account in question. The Memorial rights group has recognized Sinitsa as a political prisoner.