Sydney [Australia], June 27: Australia's High Court dismissed an appeal by the Russian government on Monday to keep a new embassy site in Canberra.
On June 15, the Australian government rushed through a new law to prevent Russia building an embassy near the country's parliament in Canberra due to national security concerns.
High Court Justice Jayne Jagot dismissed an urgent application from Russia seeking an injunction that would have kept Australia from the site while court action was under way. Jagot's ruling means the land can now be repossessed, and a man, believed to be a Russian diplomat, who has allegedly been staying at the empty construction site, can be removed.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government welcomed the High Court's decision.
"The Court has made clear that there is no legal basis for a Russian presence to continue at this time," he said.
"We expect the Russian Federation to act in accordance with the Court's ruling," he said at a press conference.
At the same press conference, he announced a new military and humanitarian package in support of Ukraine worth $110 mn Australian dollars ($73 mn US).
If Russia goes ahead with a full legal challenge over the land, it will be heard at a later date.
Source: Qatar Tribune