That diplomats “ignore” fines is in itself nothing new and is practice in many parts of the world. Having said that, it rarely looks very nice, something Russian diplomats in Japan have now experienced.
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A clear majority
Among the diplomats stationed in the country, Russians account for 63 percent of all parking fines. That is reported by the South China Morning Post.
At the time of writing, a total of 2,418 parking fines have been issued to both the Russian embassy in Tokyo and a number of consulates around the country.
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Claims immunity
However, the Russian embassy has no plans to pay these fines. Instead, they claim that the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Cooperation makes Russian diplomats immune. This also applies to diplomats stationed in Sweden.
It is in Japan that the Russians do not park properly. (Photo: Marcus Berggren)
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Japan claims the opposite
According to Japanese authorities, parking fines are exempt from diplomatic immunity. In turn, the authorities are in contact with the Russian embassy to arrive at a solution.
According to Yakov Zinberg, the reason is crystal clear: – The reason why Russian diplomats do not pay is not that the embassy cannot afford it, but it is in protest against economic sanctions as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Viral on social media
This contempt for diplomats is spreading like wildfire on Japanese social media. One comment reads that Russian diplomats should not be allowed to refuel their cars until the fine is paid.