The Safe Internet League president, Ekaterina Mizulina, weighed in on the ongoing case involving bloggers Valeria and Artem Chekalin, sharing perspectives via a telegraph channel. According to Mizulina, the court did not lift the detention on the Chekalins, citing outstanding debts and court-approved temporary measures. The public figure noted that the Chekalins had not fully settled fines and penalties, which total well into the hundreds of millions of rubles. This financial shortfall helps explain why the criminal proceeding remains active and why controls such as blocked accounts and the seizure of movable and immovable property were enforced as precautionary steps.
On July 4, reports emerged that the Chekalins’ money accounts were blocked and certain assets were confiscated by court order. The prosecutor opposed the release of seized cars, arguing that they serve as material evidence in the case and should not be returned before the investigation concludes. The court agreed with these points, which kept the vehicles from being released at that stage.
In March, the Chekalins faced accusations of significant tax offenses. Valeria was alleged to have evaded taxes totaling more than 311 million rubles, while her husband stood accused of aiding and abetting the evasion. Subsequent developments indicated that the bloggers eventually settled their tax debts. In addition, Valeria was accused of laundering about 130 million rubles. The investigation suggested the couple bought 130 million rubles worth of dollars in April 2021 to mask the origins of their funds. As a preventive measure, the court also barred Valeria from using the Internet and from writing or posting online content.
Earlier, Maria Pogrebnyak weighed in with comments about investments, highlighting the role of digital presence and media activity in shaping public perception and personal finances. According to the Safe Internet League and related observers, the case underscores the intersection of online influence, legal accountability, and the enforcement of financial transparency across jurisdictions in North America and beyond.