A court in Kazakhstan's largest city has denied the appeals of two Kazakh bloggers known for their criticism of Moscow, including Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, against their prison sentences.

The Almaty district court not only rejected the appeal filed by Marghulan Boranbai, but added two more months to his five-year prison term, and upheld the five-year prison term for Danat Namazbaev.

Lawyer Bauyrzhan Azanov told RFE/RL that the ruling will be appealed again.

Boranbai and Namazbaev were both sentenced to five years in prison on March 14 after a court found them guilty of inciting hatred between Kazakhs and Russians.

Boranbai, who is also known for his articles criticizing corruption among top officials in Kazakhstan, was also found guilty of calling for the illegal seizure of power.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

The bloggers have criticized Russia's policies, including its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, as well as its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

They have also been critical of Russia's policies toward its neighbors, including Kazakhstan and Ukraine, calling on the Kazakh authorities to avoid any moves to integrate with Russia.

The probe against Boranbai and Namazbaev was launched in 2019 over their posts in Facebook.