Khodorkovsky Seeks Residence In Switzerland

Mikhail Khodorkovsky at a public lecture at a Kyiv university on March 10

Former Russian oil tycoon and jailed Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky has applied for a residency permit in Switzerland.

His lawyer said Khodorkovsky's application was filed "a while ago."

Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, spent a decade in prison before he was amnestied in December.

His arrest in 2003 and his trial on charges of tax evasion and fraud have been widely condemned as an attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to silence one of his most vocal critics.

Khodorkovsky has been living in Switzerland since shortly after he was pardoned and released from prison.

Khodorkovsky is currently in Ukraine, where on March 9 he addressed thousands of people in Kyiv's Independence Square, the focus of three months of protests that ultimately brought down President Viktor Yanukovych.

Khodorkovsky addressed students at a Kyiv university on March 10.

Based on reporting by AFP and ITAR-TASS