--- title: "Putin pardons blogger Lerchek: decree enters into force amid stage four diagnosis" description: "Vladimir Putin signed a decree pardoning blogger Valeria Chekalina (Lerchek), releasing her from the sentence issued by the Gagarinsky Court. The decision entered into force on November 14 amid a stage four diagnosis." date: 2026-11-14T11:54:36.548Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/lerchek-pardon-putin tags: [valeria-chekalina, lerchek, pardon, russia, court] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Putin pardons blogger Lerchek: decree enters into force amid stage four diagnosis ![neon pink judge gavel on dark background symbolizing a court decision](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/14/lerchek-pomilovanie-putin/lerchek-pomilovanie-putin-1.webp) ## Key Points - Putin's decree pardoning Valeria Chekalina (Lerchek) entered into force on November 14, 2026: she was released from punishment and her criminal record was cleared. - On July 31, 2026, the Gagarinsky Court sentenced her to five years of probation and a 764 million ruble fine in an illegal currency transactions case. - The pardon is linked to a stage four stomach cancer diagnosis; the defense sought permission to travel to China for treatment. Vladimir Putin has signed a decree pardoning blogger Valeria Chekalina, known under the pseudonym Lerchek. The document entered into force on November 14, 2026. The president released Chekalina from her sentence handed down by the Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow and cleared her criminal record, citing principles of humanity. The decision was made against the backdrop of the convicted person's severe illness. ### The Verdict and Substance of the Charges In October 2024, Chekalina and her then-husband Artem became defendants in a case involving illegal currency transactions. According to the prosecution, the couple used forged documents to transfer more than 250 million rubles obtained from the sale of fitness marathons to the UAE. The blogger herself did not plead guilty. On July 31, 2026, the Gagarinsky Court sentenced her to five years of probation and imposed a fine of 764 million rubles. During the trial, the prosecutor had demanded six years of probation and a fine of 1.2 billion rubles. ### The Case of the Ex-Husband The blogger's former husband, Artem Chechalin, was sentenced to seven years in prison in April 2026 in a tax evasion case. Thus, the two defendants in the initial case received different punishments: Chekalina received a suspended sentence followed by a pardon, while her former spouse received a real prison term in a colony. ### Health and Pardon Request On November 12, Valeria Chekalina's lawyer reported that she had appealed to the president with a request for a pardon. The blogger was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer, after which her case materials were separated into distinct proceedings. The defense sought permission to travel to China for medical treatment. The state of health became the key argument in making the decision on the pardon. ### Business Empire and Tax Disputes Valeria Chekalina engaged in selling online weight loss and business courses. In 2020, she ranked seventh on the Forbes list of Russia's highest-paid social media bloggers with an annual income of $600,000. In March 2023, she was charged with tax evasion amounting to 311 million rubles; in May, the couple paid off the main debt, and along with penalties and fines, paid 504 million rubles. In December of the same year, the investigation dropped the tax case. Before the sentencing in the summer of 2026, Chekalina asked not to be given a fine, citing a lack of funds to pay it. Chekalina's pardon became the culmination of a multi-year trial that intertwined charges of currency operations, tax disputes, and, ultimately, the severe illness of the convicted person. The president's decree effectively ended her criminal prosecution, clearing her criminal record and releasing her from the assigned punishment. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Путин помиловал блогерку Лерчек, осужденную за незаконный вывод денег](https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2026/11/14/putin-pomiloval-blogerku-lerchek-osuzhdennuiu-za-nezakonnyi-vyvod-deneg-news) - Confirms the entry into force of the pardon decree on 14.11.2026, details of the verdict (5 years probation, 764 mln ruble fine), the ex-husband's case (7 years), diagnosis and pardon request, as well as Forbes and tax case context. ## FAQ ### When did the decree pardoning Lerchek enter into force? The decree entered into force on November 14, 2026. ### What was Valeria Chekalina convicted of? According to the prosecution, she and her ex-husband used forged documents to transfer over 250 million rubles to the UAE from selling fitness marathons. On July 31, 2026, she was sentenced to five years of probation and a 764 million ruble fine. ### Why was Putin asked for a pardon? Chekalina was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer, her case was separated into independent proceedings, and her defense sought permission to travel to China for treatment.