The Moscow City Court has reviewed an appeal in the case of Russian blogger Valeria Chekalina, known as Lerchek, and upheld the original verdict, the website infohub.kz reports, citing NUR.KZ and RIA Novosti.

Under the court's ruling, the five-year suspended sentence handed to the blogger in the illegal currency transactions case stands. The court also upheld the fine of more than 760 million rubles imposed on Chekalina.

"To amend the verdict regarding the additional punishment... and to leave the rest unchanged," the court's ruling states.

Valeria Chekalina, who is currently battling cancer, had planned to attend the hearing, but was rushed to hospital in the morning.

Recall that in 2023, a criminal case was opened against bloggers Valeria and Artyom Chekalin, who were barred from using the internet — the couple was accused of tax evasion and money laundering. In 2024, a new criminal case was opened against Russian millionaire blogger Valeria Chekalina, known online as Lerchek, and her ex-husband Artyom. Valeria was placed under house arrest.

Last autumn, it was reported that the internet celebrity was expecting a child.

In March 2026, Valeria Chekalina's partner, Louis Squicciarini, said she had been diagnosed with cancer after giving birth.

Valeria's lawyers subsequently said she was unable to walk unaided. Rights advocates filed a motion with the court asking for her pretrial measure to be changed and for the proceedings against her to be suspended.

In addition, Valeria Chekalina filed a complaint with Russia's Investigative Committee demanding a review of the actions of law enforcement officers in her case.

In March 2026, Valeria Chekalina paid off a multimillion-ruble debt to the Federal Tax Service. At a hearing on March 17, Lerchek's representative Maxim Kurnosov submitted a document to the court confirming the transfer of 176 million rubles (more than 1 billion tenge) to Chekalina's tax account.

That same month, the court terminated the bankruptcy case against Chekalina.

In April, Lerchek's ex-husband Artyom Chekalin was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony for transferring more than 250 million rubles to accounts in the UAE.

On July 31, it emerged that Moscow's Gagarinsky Court had resumed proceedings in the criminal case against blogger Valeria Chekalina (Lerchek). She was sentenced to five years suspended and a fine of 763.5 million rubles, and was banned from administering websites for three years. Both sides appealed the verdict.