Decision on Snowden's asylum should be made by president - Yabloko's Mitrokhin
MOSCOW. July 16 (Interfax) - Granting political asylum to former CIA employee Edward Snowden without substantial grounds could present Russia as a country giving refuge to criminals, says Sergei Mitrokhin, the leader of the Yabloko party.
"It is necessary in the situation concerning Snowden to look into what exactly information he possesses and what U.S. laws he has violated. Because, if he has committed a serious crime, it would be better not to grant him asylum, or otherwise Russia will look like a country giving refuge to criminals," Mitrokhin told Interfax.
"In any case, the decision on whether to grant Snowden asylum should be made at the top level," Mitrokhin said. "It's the president of Russia who should make this decision," he said.
Snowden filed an application for temporary asylum in Russia with the Federal Migration Service (FMS) on July 16. Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Interfax that Snowden's application would be processed by the FMS, not by the Kremlin.