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RF Gosduma Deputy Vyacheslav Nikonov, a participant in the meeting of human rights activists with the ex-CIA contractor earlier on Friday, reported that Edward Snowden officially asked the Russian government for political asylum, saying, “Mr Snowden said he’d officially applied for political asylum in Russia”. Anatoly Kucherena, an RF Public Chamber member and a lawyer, confirmed that Snowden sent an official request for political asylum in Russia, saying, “He said he’d written and handed in an application form by himself”, adding that he didn’t specify the way that he’d done it.
On Friday evening, Snowden met representatives of Russian human rights organisations, of the UN office in Moscow, and prominent Russian lawyers in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo airport. Snowden said that he’d submit a request on Friday for asylum to Russia, where he intends to stay until he can travel to Latin America. He told human rights activists whom he’d invited to a Moscow airport for a closed-door meeting, “I’ll be submitting my request to Russia today, and hope it’ll be accepted favourably”. According to a transcript of his remarks, Snowden asked the activists for assistance in securing his asylum in Russia until he is able to travel, the anti-secrecy organisation said on its web site. Snowden has been in the transit zone at Sheremetyevo airport for three weeks, so far, not being able to fly onward as the US government invalidated his passport.
Civic Chamber member Olga Kostina reported that the US Embassy called participants of a meeting with Snowden before its start and asked them to pass on to Snowden the message that he wasn’t a whistleblower, but a criminal, saying to journalists after the meeting, “The US Embassy called some of us and asked to pass on to Snowden the message that he wasn’t a whistleblower, but a criminal”. She passed on that Snowden was very grateful to the Latin American countries [that offered him asylum], but the incident with the Bolivian president’s plane made him realise that he couldn’t fly there, so, “at the moment Russia is the best option for him”.
Snowden, who’d revealed details of US secret service spying on its citizens and other countries’ officials, fled the USA and arrived in Moscow on 23 June. Reportedly, he’s been in the transit zone at Sheremetyevo airport since that time, seeking a country that would grant him asylum. Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua gave their consent to grant him asylum. Yesterday, Snowden sent an e-mail to Russian human rights organisations, to the UN office in Moscow, and to prominent Russian lawyers, inviting them to meet him in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow. During the meeting, Mr Snowden is reported to have asked Russia for political asylum.
12 July 2013
Voice of Russia World Service
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_07_12/Snowden-officially-asks-Russia-for-political-asylum-Russian-MP-Nikonov-0851/
Editor’s Note:
This makes Dahulich’s trip to the Centre all that more mystifying. He didn’t meet publicly with HH or any Russian government leaders… but it was made clear that he sucked up to Michael McFaul, a notorious provocateur and Russophobe. Don’t forget… Potapov works (or worked) for Radio Liberty, one of the most notorious Langley front organisations. Lebedeff admitted that ROCOR (at least) took Langley’s shilling… “We were grateful for it”. Dahulich sucked up to Paffausen, who sucks up to Potapov (follow the line of bumsuckers… you’ll get to the paymaster, soon enough). The oca.org post didn’t mention that Dahulich met ANY Russian spiritual or political figures… at a time when Russian-American relations are at a sensitive juncture. In short, Dahulich isn’t as bright as he makes himself out to be. He allowed himself to be portrayed as a grovelling suppliant before his Western bosses… he kowtowed and genuflected to McFaul, per the oca.org post.
If his visit were legit, patriarchia.ru would’ve mentioned it, with a supporting news release on Interfax. It smells as if the American special services used him. Remember, if it was on the up-and-square, there’d be a “Photo Album” on patriarchia.ru, and there wasn’t such. However, watch the ignorant Amerikantsy eat it all up.
There’s a lot going on here… keep your wits about you…
BMD
Voices from Russia 
Putin Blasts USA for Intimidation in Snowden Asylum Saga
Tags: asylum, Bolivia, cartoons, Central Intelligence Agency, China Daily, CIA, Cold War, editorial cartoons, Edward Snowden, Federal government of the United States, Hong Kong, Luo Jie, Moscow, National Security Agency, Nicaragua, NSA, political asylum, political commentary, politics, PRISM, Putin, Russia, Russian, Sheremetyevo International Airport, Snowden, spying, United States, US Federal government, US government, USA, Venezuela, Vladimir Putin, Washington
Statue of Liberty?
Luo Jie
2013
China Daily
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On Monday, President Vladimir Putin said US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden was still in the transit area of a Moscow airport because Washington had “blocked” him there by intimidating countries that were ready to grant him asylum, saying in St Petersburg, “He arrived on our territory without an invitation. He wasn’t flying to us. He was on a transit flight to other countries; the USA intimidated other countries, [so that] nobody wants him. That’s how [the Americans] blocked him on our territory. Some gift for us”.
Snowden, who publicised details of extensive US government surveillance programmes allegedly targeting European dignitaries as well as millions of American citizens, arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong on 23 June. Since then, he’s remained in geopolitical limbo in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo Airport, trying to find a country to grant him asylum. On Monday, Putin added that Russia wouldn’t give permanent asylum to Snowden because he refused to stop a “fight for human rights” that may strain Moscow’s ties with Washington. Putin cited Snowden as saying, “I want my work to go on. I want to fight for human rights. I think the USA is breaking certain legal standards, international [rules], and is intruding into private lives. My aim for now is to fight it”. According to Putin, the Russian side replied, “Go on without us, we have [other] things to fight for”.
Earlier, Putin said that Moscow wouldn’t extradite Snowden to the USA, where he could face the death penalty. However, on the other hand, the Kremlin tried to keep its distance from the case, emphasising that it’s a human rights issue. Last Friday, at a meeting with human rights activists in the transit area, Snowden announced his intention to apply for political asylum in Russia, adding that he was ready to comply with Moscow’s conditions, including not causing harm to the USA. The White House immediately criticised Russia for providing a “propaganda platform” for Snowden’s announcement. Last month, Putin said Moscow would consider granting Snowden asylum under the condition that he stop his work aimed at “damaging our American partners”, an option Snowden initially rejected, but apparently accepted after failing to secure safe passage to the Latin American countries that’d offered him asylum… Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
15 July 2013
RIA-Novosti
http://en.ria.ru/world/20130715/182250881/Putin-Blasts-US-for-Intimidation-in-Snowden-Asylum-Saga.html