Snowden granted asylum in Russia after month in airport
Snowden’s whereabouts will be kept a secret for security reasons, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said, making it even harder to keep track of the former NSA systems analyst, who has been largely hiding out at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport since his arrival from Hong Kong on Jun 23.
The US has demanded that Russia send Snowden home to face prosecution for espionage over his leaks that revealed wide US internet surveillance practices Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the request.
In a statement released by WikiLeaks, Snowden thanked Russia and lashed out at the US. “Over the past eight weeks we have seen the Obama administration show no respect for international or domestic law, but in the end the law is winning,” he said.
“I thank the Russian Federation for granting me asylum in accordance with its laws and international obligations.”
The move could further strain US-Russian relations. Putin has said his asylum was contingent on him not hurting US interests, but the Kremlin could have interpreted that to exclude documents he had already leaked to newspapers that continue to trickle out.
In his application for asylum, Snowden said he feared he could face torture or capital punishment if he is returned to the US, though the US has promised Russia that is not the case. The US has revoked his passport, and the logistics of him reaching other countries that have offered him asylum, including Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia, are complicated.
“He now is one of the most sought-after men in the world,” Kucherena told reporters at the airport. “The issue of security is very important for him.”
The one-year asylum can be extended indefinitely, and Snowden also has the right to seek Russian citizenship. According to the rules set by the Russian government, a person who has temporary asylum would lose it if he travels abroad.
Kucherena said it would be up to Snowden to decide whether to travel to any foreign destination, but added that “he now has no such plans”.
WikiLeaks, which has adopted Snowden’s cause, said in its statement that legal adviser Sarah Harrison has been with him in the transit zone for 39 days and remains with him. It said only that they left the airport in a taxi and that they are heading to a “secure, confidential place”.
The group also praised Russia for providing him shelter. “We would like to thank the Russian people and all those others who have helped to protect Mr Snowden,” WikiLeaks said on Twitter. “We have won the battle — now the war.”
Kucherena said Snowden spent little time packing. The lawyer said the fugitive had friends in Russia who could help ensure his security. “He has got friends, including on Russian territory, American friends, who would be able to ensure his safety for the time being,” Kucherena said.
He refused to say whether Snowden would stay in Moscow or move to stay elsewhere in Russia, saying the fugitive would discuss the issue with his family.
Kucherena argued that Russia did the right thing by offering shelter to Snowden despite US pressure. “Russia has fulfilled a humanitarian mission with regard to the US citizen who has found himself in a difficult situation,” he said, voicing hope that the US wouldn’t try to slam Russia with sanctions.
Putin’s foreign affairs aide, Yuri Ushakov, sought to downplay the impact on relations between the two countries.
“This issue isn’t significant enough to have an impact on political relations,” he said, adding that the Kremlin hasn’t heard any signal from Washington that Obama could cancel his visit to Moscow ahead of next month’s G-20 summit in St Petersburg.
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