Latest News:  

English>>World

Snowden agrees to asylum in Venezuela: Russian lawmaker

(Xinhua)

08:08, July 10, 2013

MOSCOW, July 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has agreed to seek political asylum in Venezuela, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Tuesday.

"As was expected, Snowden agreed to (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro's offer of political asylum," Alexei Pushkov, head of the international affairs committee in the Russian lower house of parliament, said on Twitter.

"Apparently, Snowden found this option the most reliable," he added.

But the tweet was later removed and Pushkov said in a new message that he had learnt of Snowden's decision from a news report on Russian state television channel Vesti 24.

Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia all offered political asylum to Snowden over the weekend.

Venezuelan President Maduro confirmed Monday his country received the asylum request letter. Snowden "will have to decide when he flies, if he finally wants to fly here," said the president.

Snowden, 30, was charged by the U.S. government with three felonies after he disclosed a highly classified surveillance project code-named PRISM, which can intercept e-mails and phone conversations of people around the world.

He arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo international airport on June 23 and has since stayed in the transit zone after his U.S. passport was revoked. He has reportedly applied for asylum in 21 countries.


We Recommend:

U.S. presidents and their pets

Highlights of 50th Int'l Paris Air Show

Best photos of week (June 17 - June 23)

Venezuelan Army School boat visits Cuba

Afghan refugees at UNHCR registration center

Beauty contest held in Budapest, Hungary

Angelina Jolie visits refugee camp

'Super moon' hangs in the sky over Rotterdam

LA' Chinatown sets up statue of Bruce Lee

Email|Print|Comments(Editor:YaoChun、Zhang Qian)

Leave your comment0 comments

  1. Name

  

Selections for you


  1. China, Russia start naval drills

  2. Stage of actual-troop exercise

  3. Most tragic pics around world

  4. People mourn students in SF air crash

  5. Tour bus catches fire in Shanghai

  6. Keep the childlike innocence

  7. Top 20 most popular supermodels

  8. Rolex Ilhabela Sailing Week kicks off in Brazil

  9. Born to lead: 2nd gen of Chinese tycoons

  10. China's inflation grows 2.7% in June

Most Popular

Opinions

  1. Shanghai investor sentiment drops
  2. Graduates need more help to start business
  3. CPC is thriving
  4. S&ED serves as 1st major step to build Sino-US ties
  5. Law for elderly creates a legal conundrum
  6. Hospitals should be city's priority
  7. Job seekers should be cautious abroad
  8. Comment: Lessons from Egyptian irony
  9. Thinking small begins to yield results
  10. Need for structural reform seen growing

What’s happening in China

Severe rainstorms batter SW China quake-hit regions | Pedestrians fall into river after bridge collapses

  1. Severe floods affect 16,900 in SW China
  2. Infrastructure construction goes well in Sansha
  3. Paperback microblogger
  4. 1 held for polluting river with chemical wastes
  5. Women spot the mischief behind glass skywalk