MOSCOW, Dec 27, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A Russian court on Friday sentenced a singer who burned his passport in protest at Moscow's Ukraine offensive to five and a half years in prison.

Eduard Sharlot, 26, was found guilty of "publicly insulting" the religious feelings of believers and "rehabilitating Naziism" by a court in the Volga city of Samara in a case over videos he published online, the RIA Novosti state news agency reported.

Moscow has sentenced dozens of people to years in prison for publicly opposing its offensive on Ukraine, launched in February 2022.

The singer had posted a video in June 2023 in which he burned his Russian passport in protest at the military campaign.

In another video he nailed a photograph of Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's Orthodox Church that has staunchly backed the offensive, to a crucifix.

Sharlot initially left Russia for Armenia after the offensive, but was arrested at Saint Petersburg airport in November 2023 upon his attempted return to Russia.

Since ordering troops into Ukraine, Russia has tightened its laws against domestic dissent and stepped up a campaign to arrest and imprison people who criticise its actions in Ukraine.

Virtually all Kremlin opponents are either dead, in exile or behind bars.