Unpaid Fines Reach Hundreds of Millions... Australia Struggles with Russian Embassy's Traffic Violation Penalties

Unpaid Violations for 15 Years Despite Hundreds of Cases
No Punishment Due to Diplomatic Immunity Privilege

'120 million KRW over 15 years.'

The Australian government is reportedly struggling with unpaid traffic violation fines by Russian diplomats, according to the Australian edition of the UK Guardian, citing data from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the 12th (local time).

According to the report, Russian diplomats have been fined approximately 90,000 AUD (about 120 million KRW) since 2007 for speeding and parking violations but have refused to pay.

Diplomats and embassy staff enjoy diplomatic immunity in the host country. Therefore, even if they violate traffic laws or fail to pay fines, they are not prosecuted.

The Guardian stated, "Australian authorities can impose administrative penalties such as demerit points, license suspension, or registration restrictions, but there is no legal means to enforce fine payments from foreign diplomats," adding, "Officials are deeply concerned."

Police are directing traffic on a road in Australia.
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Ian McConville, Director of Protocol at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said, "At the end of last year, we sent a letter urging Russian Ambassador Aleksey Pavlovsky to pay the fines," and added, "We conveyed that if he does not comply, we will disclose the specific number of violations under the Freedom of Information Act."

In the letter, McConville requested, "Road safety is a very important concern in Australian society," and asked to "remind embassy staff and their families of their responsibility to respect Australian laws under the Vienna Convention."

However, McConville added, "Besides Russia, we have sent letters urging compliance with driving regulations to embassies from over 20 countries including the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Nepal, and Israel, but in some cases, like Russia’s unpaid fines, there has been little effect."

A spokesperson for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government told the Guardian, "We are taking all possible measures under relevant laws and are in close contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to recover unpaid fines."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.