Rights activists call for Russian asylum for Snowden

(Moscow News – themoscownews.com – Anna Arutunyan – June 26, 2013) Prominent human rights activists in Russia are calling on the country’s authorities to offer political asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

“I’m very sad that Russia is not using this situation and is not offering Snowden the opportunity to remain on Russian territory,” Kirill Kabanov, a member of the Presidential Human Rights Council and former FSB officer, told RIA Novosti. “First of all, he is in a way a carrier of information. Secondly, it would be a demonstration that we pay attention to people like this.”

Kabanov’s comments came a day after President Vladimir Putin distanced himself from Snowden, who is apparently stuck at Sheremetyevo Airport’s transit zone. “I personally would prefer not to get involved in such cases. It’s like shearing a pig: there’s a lot of squealing and very little wool. I would rather leave it to [FBI Director Robert] Mueller and [Russian Federal Security Service Director Alexander] Bortnikov to resolve this.”

Although Putin mentioned the FSB head, he did not indicate that Russian security services were interested in what Snowden knew.

“Our special services never worked with Mr. Snowden and are not working with him now,” Putin said during a press conference on Tuesday in Finland, according to an official transcript.

Wikileaks on Wednesday denied speculation that Snowden was being questioned by Russian security agents.

“Mr. Snowden is not being ‘debriefed’ by the FSB. He is well and WikiLeaks’ [Sarah] Harrison is escorting him at all times,” the whistleblowing organization posted on its Twitter.

Other rights activists spoke out in favor of helping Snowden remain in Russia as long as necessary. “I think that we should do everything possible to help Edward Snowden,” RIA Novosti quoted Veronika Krashennikova, general director of the Institute of Foreign Policy Research and Initiative, as saying. “He appealed to Russia understanding that he can avoid those risks that are threatening his life.”

Whistleblowers in Russia, meanwhile, are often the targets of persecution, although not necessarily directly for their whistleblowing activities. Anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny, who has published exposes of Russian state companies and accused them of embezzlement, is himself facing up to 10 years in prison on embezzlement charges which his supporters say are politically motivated.

Kabanov, who has called on the Presidential Human Rights Council to ask Putin to allow Snowden to remain in Russia, said the former NSA agent could serve as an example for Russia.

Snowden “made a step in resisting total state control, which serves as an example, including for Russia,” Kabanov said.

WikiLeaks said on its Twitter feed on Wednesday that Snowden, who is wanted by the United States for leaking state secrets, may be permanently stuck in Russia.

Meanwhile, Washington said on Tuesday that Russia has a “clear legal basis” to expel Snowden from the transit zone based on the status of his travel documents and criminal charges he faces in the United States.