Snowden filed documents for extending temporary asylum in Russia, decision unknown yet - lawyer
MOSCOW. July 31 (Interfax) - Former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency employee Edward Snowden has filed documents on extending his temporary asylum in Russia, but nothing is known yet about the Russian authorities' decision on the matter, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena representing Snowden's interests in Russia told Interfax on Thursday.
"We submitted the necessary documents beforehand. I am not aware so far of the decision," he said.
Speaking on the matter in an interview with Rossiya-24 television channel, Kucherena said also that Snowden can stay in Russia until the FMS makes a decision on his request.
"The term of his temporary asylum is expiring, and I can state the following: in line with Russian law, he can stay on Russian territory until a decision is made on his further presence and his status on Russian territory," he said.
Kucherena suggested that reports alleging that Snowden is trying to get asylum in other countries are no more than speculations. "Here's what I can say: there have been certain speculations on this matter," he said.
The FMS declined comments on reports that Snowden had filed a request for political asylum in Russia. "No comment," the FMS press service told Interfax on Thursday.
FMS chief Konstantin Romodanovsky said on July 23 that the FMS treated any information concerning the extension of Snowden's status in Russia as confidential and would not disclose it.
Snowden fled the U.S. for Hong Kong in May 2013, where he published information on U.S. special services' Internet surveillance operations and the tapping of telephone conversations in various countries.
The publication of this information by Snowden caused international uproar. In particular, it turned out that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) tapped telephone conversations of 35 high-ranking officials in different countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The U.S. has charged Snowden in absentia with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and willful communication of classified intelligence to an unauthorized person. He is facing up to 10 years in prison on each count.
Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum for one year on July 31, 2013. The Russian law stipulates that temporary asylum can be granted for one year and can be extended for the same term annually.
Snowden received a document granting him temporary asylum for one year on August 1, 2013 and left a Moscow airport the same day.
Lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said on July 9, 2014 that Snowden had appealed to the Federal Migration Service's department for the Moscow region for extending his stay in Russia. The lawyer did not specify the status in which Snowden would like to stay in Russia after July 31, 2014.
