The home owner: “Questioning Sweden soon as the rule” – Swedish Dagbladet

the house on Lidingö. Photo: David Magnusson

– We are suffering a variety of lawsuits and it appears that in most cases we have to Swedish law on our side. The problem is that the other party is not listening to what our Swedish courts say. In their world, they still own the property, says partner Fredrik Ågren of the Russian “husockupanterna”.

In the fall the case is heard in the District Court where LKO sued the Russian Federation for the loss of rent since October 2014. The Russian response to the lawsuit clear that they neither intend to pay rent or write on the lease. Allegations that they occupy the property they call misleading.

If Russia continues to ignore all the decisions in court, the owner since practically no rights?

– Answer yes. The judiciary can not force them to pay, says Ove Bring, professor emeritus of international law.

Someone eviction is not up to date. Many residents work at the Russian Embassy and the Russian trade representation and they – as well as the actual property – covered by diplomatic immunity. Swedish Foreign Ministry has been careful to repeat repeat.

– For us it signals that it is perfectly acceptable to not care about the verdict. If this is a general

idea, we think that we can soon challenge Sweden as the rule says Fredrik Agren said.

The rulings Agren refers to are those who say that the purchase was in order and that LKO owns the property.

One way to get the money for the unpaid rent would be, according to Ove Bring, to investigate whether there are Russian property to seize. It was in the end the whole story started with a German businessman who had a claim on Russia regulated by the house on Lidingö was sold at public auction, to LKO.

Ove Bring believes that the dispute over the rent could change state.

– Foreign Ministry has so far supported Russia because they are not prepared to take a diplomatic controversy. But there is a theoretical possibility that if Russia does not live up to the Vienna Convention provision to respect Swedish law and avoid paying so one could put pressure by restricting the diplomatic representation or take other initiatives.