Russian Officials In Favour Of Snowden Asylum

Russian officials have been making statements in support of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and his asylum request in Russia. Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko believes that his country should offer Edward Snowden asylum and in a statement recorded by Itar-Tass he said that:

“In connection with Mr. Snowden’s request for a political asylum in Russia I believe that we should leave emotions aside and act in compliance with international law and the internal legislation of the Russian Federation”

Furthermore Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin expressed a similar opinion to Matviyenko stating that:

“Russia should grant political or temporary asylum to Snowden”

Of course we’ve already known that Russia was ready and willing to offer Edward Snowden asylum but they set conditions that he must not “continue to harm the USA” if he is to be granted asylum. Edward Snowden is now ready to accept that condition though it remains to be seen whether his main “leak assistant”, Glenn Greenwald of the Guardian, is willing to stop exposing new things otherwise he may risk jeopardising Snowden’s asylum bid in Russia.

Image courtesy of AFP Photo / Human Rights Watch