Australia's top court rejects Russia's bid to hold onto plot of land in its capital

Australia's top court has rejected Russia's bid to hold onto a plot of land in its capital, where Moscow had planned to build a new embassy. In dismissing the application, High Court Justice Jayne Jagot described Russia’s challenge on constitutional grounds to a law terminating the lease as “weak” and “difficult to understand.” 

The government in mid-June cancelled Russia's lease on national security grounds, prompting a court challenge. Experts said the planned embassy posed a spying risk as it would be just 400m from Parliament. A Russian diplomat who had been squatting in protest near the site left in an embassy car after



the ruling.

Russia's existing embassy is some distance away from the federal parliament building in Canberra. Moscow purchased the lease for the new site in 2008 and was granted approval to build its new embassy there in 2011. 

However,  Parliament passed emergency legislation on June 15 that terminated Russia’s lease on the largely empty block on security grounds because the new embassy would have been too close to Parliament House. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he welcomed the High Court decision and expected the Russians to leave the site.