Khodorkovsky has host of options in Switzerland

Former oil baron Mikhail Khodorkovsky, released by Russia last month after a decade in jail, was Monday facing a slew of options after arriving in Switzerland to join his family.

Khodorkovsky’s whereabouts in Switzerland remained unconfirmed, a day after he came by train from Germany, as one of his spokesmen declined to comment.

Freed on December 20 following a pardon by arch-rival President Vladimir Putin, the 50-year-old had stayed in Germany but last week was granted a three-month Swiss visa and speculation about his future plans has raged since then.

On Sunday, in an interview conducted on board the Switzerland-bound train by Swiss television, Khodorkovsky said he had travelled with his wife to take their sons back to school in the Alpine country.

Khodorkovsky’s spokesman would not say where the children study, but Swiss media have suggested that they go to the elite Alpinum boarding school in Zuoz, in eastern Switzerland.

The school, where classes resume Wednesday is near the posh ski resort of Saint Moritz, a magnet for wealthy Russian residents of Switzerland and tourists.

Swiss media have suggested that the family home is in Chernex, in the municipality of Montreux, overlooking Lake Geneva.

If that were the case, and Khodorkovsky wanted to stay in Switzerland after his three-month visa expired, he could seek a residence permit.

Switzerland is made up of 26 cantons, which are the equivalent of US states, and they are responsible for issuing residence permits.

Chernex is located in Canton Vaud, where the residence service in the capital Lausanne declined to comment on a potential application by Khodorkovsky.

According to the Swiss daily Tages Anzeiger, however, the Russian would have the right to apply for residence in the canton of his choice.

Would-be residents of Switzerland have two options.

They can either prove that they possess sufficient wealth to live off without working, or be granted residence on the grounds that they are an employee or have set up a company.

Another alternative for Khodorkovsky could be to seek political asylum.

Khodorkovsky’s supporters say his decade-long imprisonment in a tax case was Putin’s revenge against him for financing the political opposition and openly criticising the Kremlin leader.

Russia’s one-time richest man, who has said he would stay away from his home country where he still has a court order to pay $550 million in damages hanging over him, has pledged not to seek revenge against Putin.

But he has vowed to push the cause of the rights of political prisoners.

Khodorkovsky could also win Swiss residency via his wife, who has lived in the country for some time but whose immigration status has not been made public.

Swiss law allows resident foreigners to apply to be joined by family members.