Australian authorities have been left frustrated as Russian diplomats continue to refuse payment for a significant number of overdue traffic fines, including speeding, parking, and traffic violations that date back over 15 years.
Despite repeated requests from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for diplomats to abide by local laws, they have reportedly not complied, resulting in a total outstanding amount of nearly $90,000 owed by the Russian embassy.
Documents obtained through a freedom of information request by Guardian Australia reveal DFAT’s ongoing pursuit of these fines, with the department’s chief of protocol, Ian McConville, writing a letter to the Russian ambassador, Alexey Pavlovsky, in late 2022.
In a polite yet firm manner, McConville urged the ambassador to settle the fines, cautioning that the growing number of offenses could be made public under the Freedom of Information (FOI) laws.
McConville’s letter emphasized the significant concern of the Australian community regarding road safety, stating, “We would also appreciate it if you could remind staff and their dependents of their responsibility under article 41.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to respect Australia’s laws and regulations.”
While foreign officials possess diplomatic immunity in Australia and cannot be prosecuted for traffic offenses or outstanding fines, road authorities have the power to issue demerit points and suspend licenses.
Additionally, DFAT has the authority to halt the transfer of vehicle registrations until the fines are settled.
According to the documents obtained, it appears that Russian diplomats in Australia currently have a higher number of outstanding fines compared to Saudi diplomats, who have previously drawn criticism from Canberra police due to their reckless driving patterns.
There has been no reaction from the Russian embassy, so far.
The records accessed by the Guardian indicate that the backlog of fines issued to Saudi diplomats has been resolved, either through payment or the withdrawal of infringements if the diplomats responsible have left the country.
An incident from 2018 was highlighted in which a Saudi diplomat, driving without a valid license, was reported to have exceeded the speed limit by reaching 135km/h near Parliament House at 2am.
He later attributed his behavior to a lack of antibiotics. At the time, the then-chief of protocol, Chris Cannan, expressed his dissatisfaction with the incident.
Regarding other countries, the FOI documents reveal that Nepal still has unresolved traffic infringements dating back to 2007, while Romania has accumulated dozens of infringements in recent years. Most embassies have only a few outstanding infringements.
The isue of diplomatic immunity has come under increased scrutiny, particularly following an incident in which the wife of a US government employee caused the death of a teenage boy in the UK by driving on the wrong side of the road.
The woman claimed diplomatic immunity on behalf of the US administration and subsequently left the country.
This led to the boy’s family launching a three-and-a-half-year campaign to ensure that she would face trial in a UK court.
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