The HRC said that Lercek will be able to go abroad after the pardon

Blogger Valeria Chekalina, known as Lercek, will be able to travel abroad for treatment after being pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was stated by TASS member of the Human Rights Council (HRC) under the President Eva Merkacheva.

“Pardonment means the removal of a criminal record and the various restrictions associated with it. Including the removal of restrictions on travel abroad, for example, to travel to China for treatment, explained Merkacheva.

Valery Chekalina was convicted in the case of illegal withdrawal of funds abroad. According to the investigation, from September 2021 to February 2022, she, together with her ex-husband Artem Chekalin and business partner Roman Vishnyak, transferred to the company’s accounts in the UAE more than 251.5 million rubles received from the sale of the Ideal Body fitness marathon. When processing translations, as established by law enforcement agencies, used documents with false information about their purpose. The blogger did not admit guilt.

In March 2026, consideration of the case of Valeria Chekalina was suspended due to her cancer. At the time of treatment, the blogger changed the measure of restraint: instead of house arrest, she was assigned a ban on certain actions. After the resumption of the trial in July, the Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow sentenced Chekalin to five years of probation and a fine of 763 million rubles.

In late October, Chekalina reported that she again began to grow metastases, including in the lungs. Doctors recommended that she be treated in China with CAR-T therapy. However, to leave Russia, she needed court permission.

On November 12, Lercek asked President Vladimir Putin for a pardon. On November 14, Putin signed a decree pardoning Chekalina.