21st Century Wire says…
This just off the news wire from Moscow…
IMAGE: Snowden with human rights advocates and lawyers in Moscow.
Snowden wants to stay in Russia and is willing to remain within the bounds of Washington DC’s conditions and not release any more information which could compromise US national security. He is stressing that Russia would only be a temporary stop, towards his eventual move to South America.
His press conference was just finished a two hours ago, where his situation was discussed alongside thirteen Russian and international human rights advocates, and lawyers, who have have gathered at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport for the announcement.
Expect more in the coming hours…
NSA leaker & former CIA employee Edward Snowden has asked for political asylum in Russia, saying he could not fly to Latin America, according to Human Rights Watch representative who met the whistleblower.
According to Tatyana Lokshina of Human Rights Watch, Snowden seeks to stay in Russia as he “can’t fly to Latin America yet.”
When asked if the NSA leaker has any more revelations, Lokshina responded: “He says that his job is done.”
Snowden asked the human rights activists to petition the US and European states not to interfere with his asylum process, she said. The former NSA contractor also asked to intervene with President Putin on his behalf, Lokshina added.
Snowden said he is ready to ask Russia for political asylum and that he “does not intend to harm the US in the future,” according to the chairman of the Russian State Duma MP Vyacheslav Nikonov.
“No actions I take or plan are meant to harm the US… I want the US to succeed,” Snowden said.
Thirteen Russian and international human rights advocates and lawyers have gathered at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport for a meeting with Snowden. The whistleblower said the living conditions were fine at the airport and he felt safe there, but he knows he can’t stay there forever, according to Lokshina.
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