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| Edward Snowden asylum: countries approached and their responses | Edward Snowden asylum: countries approached and their responses |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| According to a statement from WikiLeaks, the US whistleblower Edward Snowden has applied for asylum in a total of 21 countries. Snowden, who has been charged under espionage laws in the US after leaking top-secret documents on US surveillance programmes, has been trapped in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since 23 June after flying in from Hong Kong. He has yet to receive a positive response to his applications for asylum. Some countries have yet to respond but a number have already rejected his request. | According to a statement from WikiLeaks, the US whistleblower Edward Snowden has applied for asylum in a total of 21 countries. Snowden, who has been charged under espionage laws in the US after leaking top-secret documents on US surveillance programmes, has been trapped in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since 23 June after flying in from Hong Kong. He has yet to receive a positive response to his applications for asylum. Some countries have yet to respond but a number have already rejected his request. |
| Austria | Austria |
| No. The interior minister, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, said Snowden would have to submit his request for asylum while on Austrian soil. But she added that he would not be deported if he arrived in Austria because "there is no international arrest warrant". | No. The interior minister, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, said Snowden would have to submit his request for asylum while on Austrian soil. But she added that he would not be deported if he arrived in Austria because "there is no international arrest warrant". |
| Bolivia | Bolivia |
| Possible. President Evo Morales said no application has been received, but if it were it would be considered. "If there were a request, of course we would be willing to debate and consider the idea," Morales told Spanish language RT Actualidad. | Possible. President Evo Morales said no application has been received, but if it were it would be considered. "If there were a request, of course we would be willing to debate and consider the idea," Morales told Spanish language RT Actualidad. |
| Brazil | Brazil |
| No. A foreign ministry spokesman said Brazil would not grant asylum, adding that it would leave the request unanswered. | No. A foreign ministry spokesman said Brazil would not grant asylum, adding that it would leave the request unanswered. |
| China | China |
| A foreign ministry spokeswoman said she had no information on />Snowden's asylum request. | |
| Cuba | Cuba |
| No response. | No response. |
| Ecuador | Ecuador |
| No. The president, Rafael Correa, said he was not considering Snowden's asylum request. In an interview with the Guardian, Correa said Snowden would have to reach Ecuadorean territory before the country would consider any asylum request. The US has cancelled Snowden's passport, and Correa said his government would not give Snowden an authorised travel document to extract himself from Moscow airport. "The right of asylum request is one thing, but helping someone travel from one country to another – Ecuador has never done this." | No. The president, Rafael Correa, said he was not considering Snowden's asylum request. In an interview with the Guardian, Correa said Snowden would have to reach Ecuadorean territory before the country would consider any asylum request. The US has cancelled Snowden's passport, and Correa said his government would not give Snowden an authorised travel document to extract himself from Moscow airport. "The right of asylum request is one thing, but helping someone travel from one country to another – Ecuador has never done this." |
| Finland | Finland |
| No. The Finnish foreign ministry spokeswoman Tytti Pylkkö said Finnish law required Snowden to be in the country for him to apply. | No. The Finnish foreign ministry spokeswoman Tytti Pylkkö said Finnish law required Snowden to be in the country for him to apply. |
| France | France |
| France said it had not received a request. The president, François />Hollande, has called for a common EU stance on the NSA snooping. | |
| Germany | Germany |
| Unlikely. Foreign minister Guido Westerwelle said it would review the asylum request "according to the law", although he "could not imagine" that it would be approved. | Unlikely. Foreign minister Guido Westerwelle said it would review the asylum request "according to the law", although he "could not imagine" that it would be approved. |
| Iceland | Iceland |
| No response. | No response. |
| India | India |
| No. Syed Akbaruddin, a spokesman for India's foreign ministry, said on Twitter: "Following careful examination we have concluded that we see no reason to accede to the Snowden request" | No. Syed Akbaruddin, a spokesman for India's foreign ministry, said on Twitter: "Following careful examination we have concluded that we see no reason to accede to the Snowden request" |
| Italy | Italy |
| No. It said that a request could not be granted unless an applicant is />already inside the country. A source in the Italian foreign ministry />also told the ITAR-TASS news agency that Snowden's />application was made via fax, which is not allowed. | |
| Ireland | Ireland |
| No. A spokesman for the department of justice said that under Irish law an asylum application could only be accepted from a person who had landed in or was within the state. | No. A spokesman for the department of justice said that under Irish law an asylum application could only be accepted from a person who had landed in or was within the state. |
| The Netherlands | The Netherlands |
| No. Security and justice secretary Fred Teeven told Dutch news agency Novum Snowden's application could not be accepted while he was abroad. | No. Security and justice secretary Fred Teeven told Dutch news agency Novum Snowden's application could not be accepted while he was abroad. |
| Nicaragua | Nicaragua |
| No response. | No response. |
| Norway | Norway |
| Unlikely. The Norwegian deputy justice secretary, Paal Loenseth, told />the state broadcaster NRK: "Applying for asylum should be done on />Norwegian soil." He added: "The Norwegian authorities can theoretically permit entry to Norway and asylum to a person that we think is important for foreign political reasons but I can't see any such reasons in this particular case." />Under its right of initiative, Norwegian Pen, which promotes literature and freedom of expression, has demanded that Snowden's application be reviewed. This means that the Norwegian directorate of immigration can no longer dismiss the application merely on the grounds that it was not filed from Norway. But it does not follow that it will be granted. | |
| Poland | Poland |
| No. The foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, wrote on his Twitter account: "I will not give a positive recommendation." | No. The foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, wrote on his Twitter account: "I will not give a positive recommendation." |
| Russia | Russia |
| No. Snowden withdrew his request after Vladimir Putin's statement making clear that he would be welcome only if he stopped "his work aimed at bringing harm" to the United States. | No. Snowden withdrew his request after Vladimir Putin's statement making clear that he would be welcome only if he stopped "his work aimed at bringing harm" to the United States. |
| Spain | Spain |
| No. The foreign minister, José García-Margallo, told reporters in the Spanish parliament: "For it [the application] to be legally admissible, it has to be made by a person who is in Spain." | No. The foreign minister, José García-Margallo, told reporters in the Spanish parliament: "For it [the application] to be legally admissible, it has to be made by a person who is in Spain." |
| Switzerland | Switzerland |
| No. Valentina Anufrieva of the Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow told USA Today that Swiss asylum claims can only be filed from within Switzerland itself. "Only when the person's life is in danger can we make an exception," she said. "But that doesn't appear to be the case here." | No. Valentina Anufrieva of the Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow told USA Today that Swiss asylum claims can only be filed from within Switzerland itself. "Only when the person's life is in danger can we make an exception," she said. "But that doesn't appear to be the case here." |
| Venezuela | Venezuela |
| Possible. On a visit to Moscow, the president, Nicolás Maduro, said he would consider an asylum request and said the whistleblower "deserves the world's protection". But he later told reporters that his country has not received an application for asylum from Snowden and dodged the question of whether he would take Snowden with him when he left. | Possible. On a visit to Moscow, the president, Nicolás Maduro, said he would consider an asylum request and said the whistleblower "deserves the world's protection". But he later told reporters that his country has not received an application for asylum from Snowden and dodged the question of whether he would take Snowden with him when he left. |
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