Switzerland is facing calls to expel Vladimir Putin's 'lover' from the luxury villa she is said to be hiding in.
Alina Kabaeva and their "secret children" are said to be sheltering in a mountain bolthole while war rages on in Ukraine.
A petition calling on the Swiss to expel Kabaeva, who according to recent reports is said to be seeing out the conflict at a retreat in Switzerland.
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“We, the citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, which is currently undergoing immense suffering, are uniting to appeal to the Swiss authorities,” states the petition in German, French and English and posted on change.org.
“The public has just learned that the Russian political and media figure, and former [rhythmic gymnast], Alina Kabaeva, is hiding the consequences of the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation in your country.
“She is the favourite wife of [the] delusional dictator and war criminal who has been treacherously attacking Ukraine over the past weeks.
“As she is supportive of social activities in Russia, she has been attempting to get Russian citizens accustomed to the reality of sanctions after 2014, and personally proclaimed: ‘The worse it gets, the better for us!’”
The petition, which so far has been signed by almost 55,000 people, said that it was time for the neutral country “to take action” and send Kabaeva home.
It accuses Switzerland of continuing "to host an accomplice of Putin’s regime", as the Mirror UK reports.
The signatories question why “given the volume of sanctions placed on Russia” the authorities continue to host her and her family at a time when Putin “is destroying the lives of millions”.
The petition tells the Swiss: "For the first time in modern history, your country has violated its neutrality, which it did not even do vis-à-vis Nazi Germany in the 20th century, and joined the sanctions against Putin and his surroundings.
“And now you are allowing his favourite mistress and her children to hide within the borders of your state.”
There is as yet no independent evidence that Kabaeva, a former pro-Putin MP, is hiding in Switzerland, where she was rumoured to have previously given birth in the country.
Separate reports suggest Kabaeva is not in Switzerland but at a hi-tech underground bunker in the Altai Mountains of Siberia.
The petition calls for the Swiss to “investigate very carefully the legal basis on which she is present in your country".
It adds: “Please consider it especially against the backdrop of sanctions imposed on her as a top executive of Russian propaganda media.
“Please decide whether the residence of this individual in your country is warranted.
“We also ask you to check the ‘cleanliness’ of the funds used for the purchase of real estate in Switzerland, of which this person uses.
“We will seek justice in any way possible, and if the fact of corruption of individual political officials of Switzerland is found out, which has allowed Alina Kabaeva to obtain citizenship bypassing all procedures, then we will ensure that this information isn’t kept a secret.
“At times like this, filled with tremendous uncertainty, you must be severe with your actions and in regards to the beneficiaries of Putin's regime!
“It’s time you reunite Eva Braun with her Führer!”
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