The defense of Lercek was engaged in the return of her passport

Protection of blogger Valeria Chekalina (Lerchek) is engaged in the return of her passport, told RBC lawyer Konstantin Tretyakov.

According to him, the passport must be physically found or get a new one.

In court, the prosecutor’s office made a noise that Valeria could escape, we gave this passport, and the inspector of the Federal Penitentiary Service took it away. Now you need to physically find this passport or get a new one. Well, because the FSIN inspector takes him further, he is transferred there further to the authorities. In the end, I think he should be in the immigration office somewhere. We are doing it there, he said.

A passport is needed for Chekalina to travel to China for treatment. As explained Tretyakov, the pardon was done for this purpose, and the legal part of the case after the removal of the conviction “lost its relevance”. According to him, the pardon exempts the blogger from all restrictions, including fines, Internet bans and travel bans.

In addition to the passport, the defense solves the issue with the clinic. The window for which the Chinese hospital was ready to take Chekalina has closed.

“This is a large clinic with its own schedule and treatment plan, and you can’t go from the street. Now the defense urgently updates the information. Applications for departure were submitted to the courts in October, the human rights activist added.

Tretyakov thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin and the staff of the presidential administration, with whom the defense last two days worked on documents for pardon.

Lawyer and public figure Ekaterina Gordon told RBC about the great work done and the reaction of Lercek to what is happening. According to her, Valeria Chekalina helped Umar Kremlinv, lawyers also filed appeals to all possible instances. She added that Valeria herself "cries and is grateful to everyone.".

Putin signed a decree pardoning Chekalina on November 14. Two days earlier, the blogger appealed to the president for a pardon. The HRC said that Lercek will be able to travel abroad after the pardon.

In July, the Gagarinsky court of Moscow sentenced her to five years of probation in the case of illegal money transfers abroad.