Snowden’s Hopes of Leaving Moscow Airport Dashed

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This handout file photo taken on Friday, July 12, 2013, and made available by Human Rights Watch, shows NSA leaker Edward Snowden during his meeting with Russian activists at Moscow airport.
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This handout file photo taken on Friday, July 12, 2013, and made available by Human Rights Watch, shows NSA leaker Edward Snowden during his meeting with Russian activists at Moscow airport.

By Reuters – MOSCOW — Fugitive Hawaii spy agency contractor Edward Snowden’s hopes of leaving Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport for the first time in a month on Wednesday were dashed when he failed to secure permission from Russia to leave.

An airport source said Snowden, who is wanted by the United States for revealing details of government intelligence programs, was handed documents by his lawyer which were expected to include a pass to leave the transit area.
But Snowden did not go through passport control and lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, who is assisting him with his request for temporary asylum in Russia until he can reach a state that will shelter him, said the American did not have the pass he needed.

It was not clear whether there had been a last-minute political intervention or hitch, or the pass had never been in his possession.

Seeking a solution

But Kucherena said he hoped Snowden’s status would be resolved soon. In Washington, the White House said it was seeking clarification of his status.

“I must say he is of course anxious about it and I hope that this situation will be resolved in the nearest future,” Kucherena said at Sheremetyevo airport.

“This is the first time Russia is facing such a situation, and this issue of course requires time for the immigration workers.”

Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela have said they could offer  sanctuary to Snowden, who arrived on June 23 from Hong Kong, where he had fled to escape capture and trial in the United States on espionage charges.

But none of the three Latin American countries can be reached by a direct commercial flight so Snowden has requested temporary asylum in Russia until he believes he can safely reach one of them.

The United States wants him extradited to face prosecution and has revoked his passport.

But Russia has refused to send him home and risks damage to relations with the United States if it grants him temporary asylum – a process that could take three months.

Comments

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2 COMMENTS

  1. I think that snowden's leaks reveal an unconstitutional & undemocratic system of surveillance.more to do with controlling American citizens than protecting Americans from terrorism threats? is Snowden morally justified for his whistle-blowing? does Hawaii grow GMO pappayas?Yes,i think so.what do you folks think?All this drama with snowden's status is just distracting attention away from the contents of NSA revelations.

  2. @Blue-just trying to drive home my point about Snowden making the right call to reveal whatNSA is up to.was snowden morally justified? "Is the pope catholic"? Does a bear sh– in the woods?" "does Hawaii grow GMO pappayas?" the answer is yes to all four.personally I don't care if pappayas are GMO because I don't eat pappayas or any fruits for that matter except an apple every once in a blue moon.and I think consumers should be given a chice and should be given all the facts about GMO crops.just like our gov't.just give us the facts.no BS.the sad fact is ,our nation is on a mission creep towards totalitarian police state.and I wonder if our political class eats GMO?or theCEO of Monsanto? Let the free market decide about GMO,not the oligarchy.

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