Australia’s High Court dismisses Russia’s bid for injunction to stop its embassy’s eviction

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s highest court has dismissed Russia’s application for an injunction that would have prevented Moscow’s embassy being evicted from a site in the national capital Canberra. The judge said in Monday’s dismissal of the application that Russia’s challenge to the law terminating the lease was weak. Parliament passed emergency legislation on June 15 that terminated Russia’s lease on security grounds because the new embassy would have been too close to Parliament House. A lawyer arguing Russia’s case also said a man who has been living on the site in a portable cabin at least since last week was a security guard. The man left the site soon after the court ruling in a car with diplomatic plates.