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In
May, the Czech centre-right government rescinded orders from the
1970s and 1980s, made by the country's then Communist rulers,
that granted Russia the use of dozens of plots of lands free of
charge.
Russia would henceforth have to pay leases on the plots, the
foreign ministry said after the orders were cancelled in May.
That decision move marked a further deterioration of bilateral
diplomatic relations that have been frosty since before Russia's
invasion of Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on Wednesday the lawsuit,
filed in a Prague court, was for "unjust enrichment" by Russia
over the past three years.
"We took this step because we did not receive any response (from
Russian authorities) during pre-court calls," he said in a
statement, adding the ministry would not give further details.
Czech European Affairs Minister Martin Dvorak said in May that
unauthorized profits from the land could not be allowed to
support the "occupation of Ukraine".
Russia's Foreign Ministry said that retroactive demands for rent
looked "like a ransom demand at the state level."
The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to an emailed
request for comment on Wednesday.
Czech and Russian relations have deteriorated in the past two
years since Prague, in 2021, accused Russian intelligence agents
of being behind explosions at an arms depot in the Czech
Republic in 2014.
The Czech parliament designated the Russian government as
terrorist last November for its aggression in Ukraine.
($1 = 21.7310 Czech crowns)
(Reporting by Jason Hovet; editing by John Stonestreet)
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