Snowden granted 1-year asylum in Russia, leaves airport
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia and is allowed to enter the country’s territory. - The whistleblower has been granted temporary political asylum in Russia, Snowden's legal representative Anatoly Kucherena said. “I have just handed over to him papers from the Russian Immigration Service. They are what he needs to leave the transit zone,” he added. He departed at around 15.30 Moscow time (11.30 GMT), airport sources said. His departure came some 30 minutes before his new refugee status was officially announced. Snowden has already left the transit zone of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, an RT crew at the scene has confirmed. His present location has not been made public nor will it be disclosed, Kucherena said. Snowden eventually intends to talk to the press in Russia, but needs at least one day of privacy, Kucherena said. The whistleblower was unaccompanied when he left the airport in a regular taxi, Kucherena added. However, WikiLeaks contradicted the lawyer, saying the organization’s activist Sarah Harrison accompanied Snowden.
Russia Today: Snowden enters Russia: RT's special coverage - LIVE
Le Monde: Edward Snowden a obtenu l'asile temporaire en Russie - Après des semaines de fausses alertes, Edward Snowden est enfin sorti de l'aéroport de Moscou, dans lequel il est bloqué depuis le 26 juin. Son avocat russe, Anatoly Kucherena, a annoncé jeudi 1er août que son client s'est vu octroyer l'asile temporaire en Russie pour une durée d'un an. L'avocat a toutefois refusé de révéler sa localisation, assurant que M. Snowden était dans un "lieu sûr". "Le lieu où il se trouve ne sera pas divulgué pour des questions de sécurité car il est l'homme le plus recherché du monde", a précisé l'avocat.