Australia Uses New Law Rejecting Russian Embassy Rental

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) with US President Joe Biden and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau/PHOTO via Instagram @albomp

JAKARTA - A court in Australia uses a new law that brings "radical changes to the situation" thus rejecting the Russian embassy's move to "prevent the Commonwealth from taking over control of the leased locations for new embassies."

High Court Judge Jayne Jagot said in court: "The parliamentary law must come first," ABC News reported Monday, June 26.

Following the court's decision, a Russian diplomat living in a location close to the Australian parliament, vacated the venue where the Russian Embassy built a building.

Russia last week launched an official legal case against Australia regarding the cancellation of Moscow's leases on land to build a new embassy building in Canberra.

Judge Jagot also found Russia's claim "it is unclear and vague to provide evidence of potential damage."

Russia opposes the new law, argues it is "unconstitutional and must be declared invalid."

"The overall effect must be given to this action, and the court's decision request is rejected," he said in his decision.

"There is no exact basis for interlocutory orders as requested by (Russia)," said Jagot.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government last week rushed to make a new law to cancel leases for the Russian Embassy.

"The government received very clear security advice regarding the risks of the presence of a new Russian embassy close to parliament," the Australian prime minister said of renting out land to the Russian Embassy.

A Russian diplomat was seen on a plot of land in the Yarrakela area in Canberra.

Russia told its court it had spent about $8.2 million for the construction and related work since the land was leased in December 2008.

Disputes escalated in late August when Australia's National Capital Authority asked the Russian Embassy to vacate locations in Yarralumla "when construction work for the new diplomatic complex is underway."

However, Russia opposes the authority's decision in Australia's federal court and wins.

This led the Albanese government to submit and make a new law passed "to permanently stop the construction of a new embassy building."