A petition urging Switzerland to deport a Russian woman who is suspected to be Putin’s lover has gone live – and it has gained more than 61,000 signatures.
Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast and politician, has been the target of a campaign by Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian nationals hoping to have her expelled.
Posted to the change.org website, the petition has been written in English, French and German – the writers evidently wanting to cover all bases.
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It begins by describing the 38-year-old as the 'favourite wife of a delusional dictator', before comparing the Russian president to Adolf Hitler.
The petition then urges Switzerland to do the right thing and ensure 'Eva Braun' be 'returned to her Fuhrer'.
Kabaeva has been romantically linked to Putin since 2008, and that year, the pair’s engagement was announced by Moskovsky Korrespondent, but the paper closed down a short time later.
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In 2015, a Swiss newspaper published an article claiming she had given birth to his child in Lugano, Switzerland. However, the claims were vehemently denied by the Kremlin.
Kabaeva has an Olympic gold medal under her belt from her time competing as a gymnast for Russia.
She then turned to politics, becoming the Duma’s deputy speaker between 2007 and 2014. Following this, she became chair of the Kremlin-linked National Media Group.
Putin was previously married for three decades to Lyudmila Skrebneva, and they share two daughters.
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The creators of the petition also accused Switzerland of 'continuing to host her and her family, whilst Putin is destroying the lives of millions'.
Last month, Switzerland declared it would be joining other countries in imposing sanctions against Russia.
However, Jacques Pitteloud, the country’s ambassador in the US, said Switzerland still remained a 'neutral' country, even after the decision was made.
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"We’re still neutral," he said. "At the same time, we’re putting additional emphasis on something else that is very important to small countries like Switzerland – the respect of international law.
"International law may not be that important for big countries, but for small countries, it is a matter of survival."
In a similar vein, more than 1.3 million people have signed a petition calling for Putin to face a Nuremberg-style trial following the war in Ukraine.
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Topics: World News, Russia, Vladimir Putin
Abbi Murray