- Swiss authorities believe the 3-bedroom apartment in a luxury golf resort belongs to oligarch Petr Aven.
- Aven is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the EU.
- Switzerland broke its historically neutral status to adopt EU sanctions on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Authorities in Switzerland have seized a luxury holiday home that is believed to be owned by a sanctioned Russian banker, previously described as one of President Vladimir Putin's "closest oligarchs."
Officials at the canton of Bern's property office believe that the property belongs to Petr Aven, a major shareholder in Alfa Group, which owns sanctioned Russian lender, Alfa-Bank, Reuters reported. The property in question is a 3-bedroom apartment in a mountain golf resort in the Bernese Oberland region, according to a report in the Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag, which was also cited by Reuters.
Aven is one of dozens of oligarchs who have been sanctioned by the UK and the European Union as part of measures targeting Russia's elite, designed to put pressure on Putin in response to his decision to invade Ukraine.
The EU has described Aven as "one of Vladimir Putin's closest oligarchs" and said that he "does not operate independently of the President's demands."
On February 28, Switzerland broke its historically neutral status and adopted EU sanctions levied against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Oligarchs and other wealthy Russians hold as much as $214 billion in secretive Swiss bank accounts, the Swiss Bankers Association revealed last week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 19 called on Switzerland to seize assets of Russians tied to the invasion, Reuters reported.
Speaking after EU sanctions against him were adopted by Switzerland, Aven described them as "spurious and unfounded" allegations, Reuters reported.
Alfa-Bank's website listed Aven as having left the Moscow-based bank's board of directors in resignation applications dated March 1. A description of Aven's position on Alfa's supervisory board appears to have since been taken down from the bank's website.
Aven was also previously a board member at London-based investment firm LetterOne but it froze him out after he was sanctioned.
Alfa-Bank and LetterOne did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. The Canton of Bern did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Aven had already had an asset seized in early March, a building complex that he partially owned in Sardinia, Italy, according to Reuters.