Australia: Russia loses court bid over new Canberra embassy

The High Court of Australia on Monday dismissed a request for an injunction that would have prevented Russia from being evicted from a site where it plans to build a new embassy in the capital, Canberra. 

Australia had blocked Russia from building a new embassy at the site after intelligence agencies warned it could be used as a base to spy on lawmakers.

Court: Moscow's challenge to eviction 'weak' 

High Court Justice Jayne Jagot said that Moscow's challenge was "weak" and "difficult to understand."

Last week, the Russian Embassy launched an injunction to temporarily hold onto the land.

The embassy said it had "no comments" on the Monday ruling.

Russia bought the lease to the land from the Australian government in 2008 and was granted approval to build its new embassy there in 2011.

Australia deems new Russian embassy site 'security risk'

Meanwhile, a Russian diplomat who was dispatched on Friday to squat inside a small security shed on the construction site ended his short-lived solo defiance of the Australian government. Russia's lawyer, Elliot Hyde, said the man was a security guard.

The squatter-diplomat moved out soon after the High Court handed down its ruling, ignoring questions from journalists as he was whisked away in a car with diplomatic plates.

The Australian government announced last week that it was canceling the lease, with parliament passing a law preventing a Russian embassy from being built on the site.

The site is located close to Australia's parliament.

"The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk posed by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

"We are acting quickly to ensure the lease site does not become a formal diplomatic presence."

Russia currently has an embassy in the Canberra suburb of Griffith, which is located further away from Parliament House.

sdi/wd (AFP, AP)