Rapperswil-Jona has an attractive old town
Keystone
The former Russian oil tycoon, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, wants to settle in Rapperswil-Jona, in canton St Gallen, his spokesman confirmed on Thursday.
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Khodorkovsky arrived in Switzerland at the start of January after being freed from prison in Russia and was granted a Schengen visa at the end of December.
It was announced that he had filed an application to stay on Monday, but the location was not revealed.
Rapperswil-Jona is a small historic town on the banks of Lake Zurich – population of over 26,000 – which boasts a medieval castle.
The tycoon was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin and released from a decade-long imprisonment in December 2013. He flew to Berlin just hours after leaving jail, and then joined his wife and two sons in Switzerland at the beginning of the year.
His current visa allows him to travel freely within the 26-nation Schengen area, which includes Switzerland and much of the European Union, but not Britain, for 90 days over any 180-day period.
He was put behind bars in 2003 on charges of fraud and tax evasion. The former owner of the Yukos oil company and once the richest man in Russia, Khodorkovsky was considered to be a political prisoner by Switzerland and the West, as the charges against him were seen to be a warning against those who challenged Putin.
Since his arrival in Switzerland, the former oil magnate has travelled a great deal. On Sunday he spoke to a crowd of thousands in Kiev, criticising Russia and accusing the country of being involved in police violence against protestors.
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Kremlin critic wants to stay put
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His spokesperson confirmed on Monday that the request had been made, but would not reveal precisely where. Khodorkovsky was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin and released from a decade-long imprisonment in December 2013. He flew to Berlin just hours after leaving jail, and then joined his wife and two sons in Switzerland at the…
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The 50-year-old Kremlin critic told Swiss public television, SRF, that his two sons – who have been living in Switzerland with his wife – would be starting school soon and he wanted to be there with them. Khodorkovsky was granted a visa on December 30. It allows him to travel freely within the 26-nation Schengen area,…
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Responding to a question from swissinfo.ch, Khodorkovsy said, “I am grateful to Switzerland because it was the first country where the case against (my oil company) Yukos was investigated by legal authorities in detail, and they – at the highest level – reported that it is a political issue. And that Switzerland will not deliver…
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The Federal Court said on Thursday that Russia’s judicial standards fell short of the international norms needed to comply with the request. The court also questioned the Kremlin’s political motives. The Lausanne-based court said that it had accepted appeals lodged by six plaintiffs aimed at stopping the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office from handing over the…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.