01.07 Russian Officials Back Snowden, Issue 'Not on' Kremlin Agenda
MOSCOW, July 1 (RIA Novosti) Russian lawmakers and officials voiced support for fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden at a round table meeting in the Public Chamber on Monday, in contrast to muted comments by the Kremlins spokesperson who has said that Snowden is not on the Kremlins agenda.
The head of Russias Presidential Human Rights Council, Mikhail Fedotov, on Monday told the Public Chamber round table I am convinced that, if Snowden was acting in the public interest, then society is obliged to protect him.
Speaking to the Echo Moskvy radio station on Sunday, however, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated the comments President Putin made last week that Snowden has not crossed Russias state border. This subject is consequently not on the Kremlins agenda, Peskov said.
Edward Snowden, who reportedly served with the US Army and CIA before working as an intelligence contractor for the US National Security Agency and is wanted by the US for leaking state secrets, is believed to have arrived in Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport a week ago. The transit area is technically not considered Russian soil, but his reported presence in a Moscow airport risks exacerbating tensions in Russia-US relations.
Some members of Russias lower house of parliament, the State Duma, have voiced their support for Snowden, with United Russia representative Alexander Sidyakin saying that Snowden is a worthy candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
