The key facts
- The Moscow City Court is hearing the appeal in the Lerchek case behind closed doors; the prosecution demands increasing the suspended sentence from five to six years
- Chekalina was not present at the hearing — she was urgently taken to hospital; she has begun a second course of chemotherapy under a compulsory medical insurance policy
- The defense received an invitation from a Chinese clinic and asked the court for permission to travel abroad
The prosecution insists on six years
The Moscow City Court is hearing the appeal in the case of blogger Valeria Chekalina, known as Lerchek, who was charged with illegal multi-million transfers abroad. The prosecution supported the demand to toughen the sentence, one of the participants in the proceedings told TASS. The hearing is being held behind closed doors — without journalists or members of the public. The prosecution asked for the verdict to be changed in light of the arguments in its appellate submissions and spoke against granting the appeals of the defense and the convicted woman.
Health condition and treatment
Chekalina herself was not present at the hearing — she was urgently taken to hospital. In July, the Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow sentenced her to five years of suspended imprisonment, a fine of 763.5 million rubles, and a three-year ban on administering internet websites. The defense is seeking the blogger's acquittal, while the prosecution demands increasing the suspended sentence to six years. Chekalina continues her battle with stage-four stomach cancer: according to her, she has begun a second course of chemotherapy, with treatment provided under a compulsory medical insurance policy after an examination at the Blokhin Oncology Center.
Motion to travel abroad
Meanwhile, Chekalina's defense received an invitation from a Chinese clinic and asked the court for permission to travel abroad. Earlier, an oncologist, commenting to the media, explained what CAR-T therapy is and whether it could help Chekalina, noting that it is
