A suspected Russian diplomat appears to be squatting on the site of Moscow’s proposed new embassy in Australia's capital, Canberra, after the government vetoed the plan over security risks.
, half the world away a suspected Russian diplomat appears to be staging a more modest occupation of his own that is fueling a growing national security standoff.
The suspected diplomat is squatting on the site of Moscow’s proposed new embassy in the Australian capital,While Russia tries to overturn that decision in court, a mystery man has been spotted living on the site for days in a portable building surrounded by weeds and discarded construction materials. Photos showed him smoking cigarettes outside, wearing a black down jacket with jeans and sneakers.
Australian Federal Police have been waiting on the road near the site since Sunday, sparking interest from passersby and then the media. Officers are reportedly unable to evict the man because he has diplomatic immunity, though in a video posted by local mediaThe Russian embassy in Australia declined to comment on the case after NBC News contacted them by email on Friday. Russia's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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