Fugitive US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden’s hopes of leaving Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport for the first time in a month yesterday were dashed when he failed to secure permission from Russia to leave.
An airport source said Snowden, who is wanted by the United States for revealing details of government intelligence programmes, was handed documents by his lawyer that were expected to include a pass to leave the transit area.
Not clear whether there was political intervention
But Snowden did not go through passport control and lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, who is assisting him with his request for temporary asylum in Russia until he can reach a state that will shelter him, said the American did not have the pass he needed.
It was not clear whether there had been a last-minute political intervention or hitch, or the pass had never been in his possession. But Kucherena said he hoped Snowden’s status would be resolved soon.
In Washington, the White House said it was seeking clarification of his status.
“I must say he is of course anxious about it and I hope that this situation will be resolved in the nearest future. This is the first time Russia is facing such a situation, and this issue of course requires time for the immigration workers,”Kucherena said at Sheremetyevo.
Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela have said they could offer sanctuary to Snowden, who arrived on June 23 from Hong Kong, where he had fled to escape capture and trial in the US on espionage charges.
None of the three Latin American countries can be reached by a direct commercial flight so Snowden has requested temporary asylum in Russia until he believes he can safely reach one of them.
The US wants him extradited to face prosecution and has revoked his passport.
But Russia has refused to send him home and risks damage to relations with the US if it grants him temporary asylum – a process that could take three months.
Kucherena confirmed Snowden was staying somewhere in the many corridors and rooms of the transit area between the runway and passport control – an area which Russia considers neutral territory – and that he had learned the Russian for “Hi”, “Bye-bye” and “I’ll ring you.”
The 30-year-old had received calls from across Russia with offers to give him money and a place to stay and even a suggestion by one woman to adopt him. He said he had enough money to get by for now.
Kucherena said he had brought fresh underwear and shirts and added he had given him the novel Crime and Punishment by 19th century writer Fyodor Dostoevsky.
President Vladimir Putin has signalled he does not want the dispute to derail Russia’s relations with the US, and the temporary asylum decision could be delayed until after US President Barack Obama visits Moscow for a summit in September.