Foreign Ministry defends stance as Russian tenants leave Lidingö building

The last tenants have left the building known as the Russian House on Lidingö, apparently ending a dispute that lasted more than a decade, SVT reports. The Foreign Ministry says diplomatic residences must be protected from intrusion under the Vienna Convention.

Property owner Stefan Häge entered the seven-storey building for the first time on Monday. His company bought it at a forced auction in 2014, but the Russian tenants refused to move out or pay rent.

Häge and Lidingö municipality have criticised the Foreign Ministry’s handling of the case, accusing it of protecting Russian interests. Häge said the Swedish state had taken no action and that he had never given up.

In 2023, then-Foreign Minister Tobias Billström defended the government’s position by saying Russian diplomats used the property. He said Sweden had an obligation under the Vienna Convention to protect the building and ensure those staying there were treated with dignity.

The Foreign Ministry has repeated that explanation to SVT, saying diplomats’ residences must be protected from intrusion and their peace and dignity must not be violated. The ministry says it does not keep a register of diplomats’ residences and handled the matter according to Sweden’s obligations. It did not answer whether it had taken part in negotiations about the property’s future.

SVT reported more than three years ago that the building was also used by people identified as Russian intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover. The dispute now appears to be over.