The Moscow City Court rejected the appeal filed by blogger Elena Blinovskaya, who sought to swap house arrest for a ban on certain activities. This decision was announced by the court’s press service.
According to the message, on May 22, 2023, the Moscow City Court placed Elena Blinovskaya under house arrest, and the appeal was denied.
She will remain under house arrest at her estate in Istra, near Moscow, until June 26. Blinovskaya did not attend the court session, and her lawyer explained this by her reported poor health.
Detention occurred on April 27 on suspicion of tax evasion and money laundering involving 918 million rubles traced to 2019–2021. A criminal case was opened by the Investigation Committee.
The authorities alleged that income was generated from internet-related entrepreneurial activities, services, and the conduct of training courses, including media support and educational marathons. It was claimed that Blinovskaya deliberately avoided switching to a common taxation system and officially split the business, as well as involved unnamed individuals in the criminal scheme.
Sources cited by the media indicated that the blogger was detained in the Smolensk region while attempting to cross into Belarus. The seizure was alleged to be anticipated; investigators reportedly found a flight ticket to Tashkent believed to belong to Blinovskaya in the process of the operation.
The investigation contends that Blinovskaya resisted the simplified tax regime for individual entrepreneurs that applies to annual income up to 150 million rubles. To evade this regime, she allegedly fragmented her business, routing funds through 18 affiliated companies and three individual entrepreneurs. Authorities also claimed that some unpaid taxes were legitimized by purchasing vehicles and equipment for relatives’ businesses.
Searches were conducted at Blinovskaya’s Istra residence, where premium vehicles in the SK garage were observed, with total value potentially exceeding 100 million rubles. On May 15, the Investigative Committee filed a lawsuit against Blinovskaya’s husband, who faced suspension for alleged complicity in tax evasion and related schemes.
The court barred Blinovskaya from using the internet and ordered house arrest. Nevertheless, new posts appeared on her personal social media pages and Telegram channel. On April 28, the day after her arrest, she released a story asserting her status as a compliant taxpayer.
On May 21, her channel broadcast a request for followers to contribute to legal fees, saying,
“Now is not the easiest time for me. Every ruble counts, every word of support, for our connection and trust with you, I hope …” The message was later removed, and representatives indicated that her Telegram account had been hacked twice since the arrest. A subsequent article claimed that a bank had blocked a specified card to collect funds.
In her statement, the blogger expressed frustration with the situation: “I’m angry, guys. Hello to the ill-wishers. The card shown by my assistant was blocked by the bank. I realize that this period of my life won’t allow me to please everyone, but I don’t understand why they keep testing me and causing trouble.”
Blinovskaya joined a list of prominent Russian bloggers facing tax-related accusations tied to business fragmentation. Earlier names included Valeria Chekalina known as Lerchek and Alexander Mitroshin, who has since relocated to Dubai. Mid-May reports also noted a tax audit affecting the companies of Anastasia Ivleeva, a well-known host and actress.
Media outlets and Telegram channels reported that the Federal Tax Service has established a dedicated department to oversee prominent bloggers and media figures engaged in information business. Unconfirmed sources suggest at least 32 individuals are on this list, including Yegor Creed, Victoria Bonya, Hussein Gasanov, Instasamka, and others.
RIA Novosti, citing the Chekalins’ attorney Konstantin Tretyakov on May 22, stated that the bloggers had fully repaid their tax debts totaling more than 300 million rubles. The attorney noted that in such cases, dialogue often leads to voluntary debt settlement and sometimes results in closure of the proceedings. The Chekalins’ side awaits a response from law enforcement.