Edward Snowden Seeks “Temporary” Political Asylum in Russia Friday July 12,2013

U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden has asked for “temporary” political asylum in Russia, agreeing to President Vladimir Putin’s condition to stop “harming” American interests
This image provided by Human Rights Watch shows NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, centre, attends a press conference at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport with Sarah Harrison of WikiLeaks, left, on Friday

Edward Snowden conveyed his asylum request to 13 Russian rights activists, lawyers and political figures that he invited on Friday July 12,2013 to the transit zone at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, where he has been living for the past 19 days

It was Edward Snowden’s first public appearance since he flew to Moscow from Hong Kong after exposing a global electronic surveillance programme run by the U.S. National Security Agency. 

“Edward Snowden asked human rights activists and lawyers to support his asylum appeal,” said lawyer Anatoly Kucherena who attended the meeting.

“He assured us that he was ready to accept [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s condition for receiving Russian asylum and halt activities damaging to the U.S.,” lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told

In an early official reaction, Russian Parliament speaker Sergei Naryshkin said Moscow should give Edward Snowden asylum because he faced capital punishment in the U.S.

“We have no right to let it happen. We must grant him asylum or temporary shelter,” the Russian speaker said.

Note
It is the second time Edward Snowden is asking for Russian asylum. He retracted his first request after Mr. Putin said he could stay in Russia on condition that “he must stop his work aimed at harming our U.S. partners.”