Russia Extends Snowden Asylum By Three Years

US National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has been granted permission to stay in Russia for three more years, according to his lawyer.

The American was last year granted temporary asylum of 12 months in Russia, but that ran out at the beginning of this month.

The former NSA systems analyst has not been granted political asylum, his lawyer Analtoly Kucherena told Russian news agencies.

It is not clear if Mr Snowden is applying for such status, which would allow him to stay in the country indefinitely.

The document granted by Russia

He faces espionage charges in the US that carry a sentence of up to 30 years.

This week it was reported that Mr Snowden marked one year of asylum in Russia by visiting the historic Bolshoi Theatre.

In a rare public appearance, the American was photographed smiling as he watched the Tsar's Bride opera.

Mr Snowden fled to Hong Kong and then Moscow last year after he leaked extensive details about US electronic surveillance programmes.

Since receiving temporary asylum, his whereabouts have not been made public.

He said in a television interview in May: "If I could go anywhere in the world, that place would be home."

Mr Snowden marked a year of asylum by visiting the historic Bolshoi Theatre

Mr Snowden, who reportedly took 1.7m digital documents, has continued to leak the material.

Mr Kucherena said his client is working as "a high-class IT specialist" in an unspecified sector under the protection of private guards.

"He leads a rather modest lifestyle, but nevertheless we proceed from the tone of statements that come from the US State Department and other political figures," said the lawyer.

"The security issue should not be treated as a secondary one."

A papier mache Snowden figure on a German carnival float

Mr Kucherena was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that he is writing a novel based partly on the Snowden case.

US film director Oliver Stone has bought the rights to the book, according to Mr Kucherena.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Russia Extends Snowden Asylum By Three Years

Dengan url

http://anterinjemput.blogspot.com/2014/08/russia-extends-snowden-asylum-by-three.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Russia Extends Snowden Asylum By Three Years

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Russia Extends Snowden Asylum By Three Years

sebagai sumbernya