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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWikileaks: Statement on Snowden’s Successful Russian Asylum Bid
Statement on Snowdens Successful Russian Asylum Bid
1 August 2013, 16:00 UTC
Today, Thursday 1st August at 15:50 MSK, Edward Snowden was granted temporary asylum in Russia. He left Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow with WikiLeaks staffer and legal advisor Sarah Harrison who has accompanied him during his 39 day stay in the transit zone and continues to do so. Ms Harrison has remained with Mr Snowden at all times to protect his safety and security, incuding during his exit from Hong Kong. They departed from the airport together in a taxi and are headed to a secure, confidential place.
On 16th July Mr Snowden made a request for temporary asylum to Russia. Despite the ongoing pressure from the United States, which has been trying to interfere with this sovereign process in violation of the UN Protocol on the Rights of Refugees, Russia has done the right thing and granted Mr Snowden temporary asylum. The certificate of temporary asylum by the Russian Federation lasts for one year and affords Mr Snowden the right to live in and travel around Russia, where he can now plan his next steps in safety. On receiving his asylum certificate Mr Snowden said: "Over the past eight weeks we have seen the Obama administration show no respect for international or domestic law, but in the end the law is winning. I thank the Russian Federation for granting me asylum in accordance with its laws and international obligations."
WikiLeaks, whilst being a publishing organisation, also fights for the rights and protections of journalistic sources, and so has taken a leading role in assisting Mr Snowden secure his safety. Mr Snowden, an American citizen, was forced to flee his country to enable him to safely reveal to the public the crimes of his government. President Barack Obama while elected on a platform promising to protect whistleblowers, has now prosecuted more national security whistleblowers than all other presidents in United States history combined. This bellicose response from the US administration makes it clear that Snowden could not receive a fair trial. Assange said "This is another victory in the fight against Obamas war on whistleblowers. This battle has been won, but the war continues. The United States can no longer continue the surveillance of world citizens and its digital colonization of sovereign nations. The public will no longer stand for it. Whistleblowers will continue to appear until the government abides by its own laws and rhetoric."
WikiLeaks commends Russia for accepting Snowdens request and supporting him when many countries felt so compromised by US threats that they could not. Throughout Snowdens stay in the airport it has been heartening to see citizens of the United States, of Russia and the world supporting Mr Snowden. WikiLeaks would also like to extend their gratitude to the airport staff who have assisted in making the extended stay of Mr Snowden and Ms Harrison as comfortable and secure as possible, despite the difficult conditions.
Mr Snowden and Ms Harrison have been staying in the airport for almost six weeks, having landed on an Aeroflot flight from Hong Kong on the 23rd June. They had been booked on a connecting flight the following day. Mr Snowden intended to request asylum in Latin America. However, after Mr Snowdens departure was made public, the United States government canceled his passport, which rendered onward travel impossible.
From within the transit zone of the airport, Mr Snowden and Ms Harrison spent a number of weeks prior to his Russian application assessing the options available to him to ensure his future safety. Without a passport and no immediate offers of the necessary safe passage, travel was impossible. Over twenty asylum requests to various countries were made to try to secure Mr Snowdens passage. Throughout this period the United States took irregular and disproportionate actions to block Mr Snowdens right to seek asylum: downing the plane of the President of Bolivia and making direct political and economic threats againt nations Mr Snowden requested assistance from. This is in violation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2312 (1967), which states that:
"the grant of asylum. . . is a peaceful and humanitarian act and... as such, it cannot be regarded as unfriendly by any other State."
Despite these actions, Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua stood strong and granted Mr Snowden asylum. At a meeting with lawyers and human rights organisations on the 12th of July, Mr Snowden announced that he accepted Venezuelas asylum offer, although ultimately US interference has, at least for the time being, prevented its practical acceptance.
The Obama administration has demonstrated in its treatment of Bradley Manning, Thomas Drake, James Risen, James Rosen and others that the United States is no longer a safe place for whistleblowers and national security journalists. WikiLeaks urges that the US government amends its ways, reverse this trend and re-establish its moral authority. We will continue to defend Mr Snowden and urge the United States government to respect its constitution and international law.
http://wikileaks.org/Statement-on-Snowden-s-Successful.html
1 August 2013, 16:00 UTC
Today, Thursday 1st August at 15:50 MSK, Edward Snowden was granted temporary asylum in Russia. He left Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow with WikiLeaks staffer and legal advisor Sarah Harrison who has accompanied him during his 39 day stay in the transit zone and continues to do so. Ms Harrison has remained with Mr Snowden at all times to protect his safety and security, incuding during his exit from Hong Kong. They departed from the airport together in a taxi and are headed to a secure, confidential place.
On 16th July Mr Snowden made a request for temporary asylum to Russia. Despite the ongoing pressure from the United States, which has been trying to interfere with this sovereign process in violation of the UN Protocol on the Rights of Refugees, Russia has done the right thing and granted Mr Snowden temporary asylum. The certificate of temporary asylum by the Russian Federation lasts for one year and affords Mr Snowden the right to live in and travel around Russia, where he can now plan his next steps in safety. On receiving his asylum certificate Mr Snowden said: "Over the past eight weeks we have seen the Obama administration show no respect for international or domestic law, but in the end the law is winning. I thank the Russian Federation for granting me asylum in accordance with its laws and international obligations."
WikiLeaks, whilst being a publishing organisation, also fights for the rights and protections of journalistic sources, and so has taken a leading role in assisting Mr Snowden secure his safety. Mr Snowden, an American citizen, was forced to flee his country to enable him to safely reveal to the public the crimes of his government. President Barack Obama while elected on a platform promising to protect whistleblowers, has now prosecuted more national security whistleblowers than all other presidents in United States history combined. This bellicose response from the US administration makes it clear that Snowden could not receive a fair trial. Assange said "This is another victory in the fight against Obamas war on whistleblowers. This battle has been won, but the war continues. The United States can no longer continue the surveillance of world citizens and its digital colonization of sovereign nations. The public will no longer stand for it. Whistleblowers will continue to appear until the government abides by its own laws and rhetoric."
WikiLeaks commends Russia for accepting Snowdens request and supporting him when many countries felt so compromised by US threats that they could not. Throughout Snowdens stay in the airport it has been heartening to see citizens of the United States, of Russia and the world supporting Mr Snowden. WikiLeaks would also like to extend their gratitude to the airport staff who have assisted in making the extended stay of Mr Snowden and Ms Harrison as comfortable and secure as possible, despite the difficult conditions.
Mr Snowden and Ms Harrison have been staying in the airport for almost six weeks, having landed on an Aeroflot flight from Hong Kong on the 23rd June. They had been booked on a connecting flight the following day. Mr Snowden intended to request asylum in Latin America. However, after Mr Snowdens departure was made public, the United States government canceled his passport, which rendered onward travel impossible.
From within the transit zone of the airport, Mr Snowden and Ms Harrison spent a number of weeks prior to his Russian application assessing the options available to him to ensure his future safety. Without a passport and no immediate offers of the necessary safe passage, travel was impossible. Over twenty asylum requests to various countries were made to try to secure Mr Snowdens passage. Throughout this period the United States took irregular and disproportionate actions to block Mr Snowdens right to seek asylum: downing the plane of the President of Bolivia and making direct political and economic threats againt nations Mr Snowden requested assistance from. This is in violation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2312 (1967), which states that:
"the grant of asylum. . . is a peaceful and humanitarian act and... as such, it cannot be regarded as unfriendly by any other State."
Despite these actions, Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua stood strong and granted Mr Snowden asylum. At a meeting with lawyers and human rights organisations on the 12th of July, Mr Snowden announced that he accepted Venezuelas asylum offer, although ultimately US interference has, at least for the time being, prevented its practical acceptance.
The Obama administration has demonstrated in its treatment of Bradley Manning, Thomas Drake, James Risen, James Rosen and others that the United States is no longer a safe place for whistleblowers and national security journalists. WikiLeaks urges that the US government amends its ways, reverse this trend and re-establish its moral authority. We will continue to defend Mr Snowden and urge the United States government to respect its constitution and international law.
http://wikileaks.org/Statement-on-Snowden-s-Successful.html
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Wikileaks: Statement on Snowden’s Successful Russian Asylum Bid (Original Post)
ProSense
Aug 2013
OP
To celebrate Greenwald and Snowden attempt to wreck the NSA GCHQ relationship
flamingdem
Aug 2013
#10
ProSense
(116,464 posts)1. Kick! n/t
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)2. Bravo to Snowden and Wikileaks.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)3. And Russia!
"I thank the Russian Federation for granting me asylum in accordance with its laws and international obligations."
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)5. I agree!
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)19. I'm sure it is worth it for them. nt
Mojorabbit
(16,020 posts)21. I agree. They are doing the right thing. nt
MADem
(135,425 posts)26. ".... in accordance with its laws and international obligations."
That's the rub, right there.
His "lawyer" is Pootie's old KGB buddy.
Ed is now subject to Russian law, where he wasn't when he was hiding in the transit zone.
MotherPetrie
(3,145 posts)6. +1.
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)4. Snowden is NOT a refugee.
And I don't care what the albino has to say about it.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)8. No, he's not, and he can still be picked up. n/t
leftstreet
(36,101 posts)9. Who's 'the albino?'
disidoro01
(302 posts)13. Albino?
leftstreet
(36,101 posts)7. DURec
flamingdem
(39,308 posts)10. To celebrate Greenwald and Snowden attempt to wreck the NSA GCHQ relationship
how long till they get their own RT show like Assange? (via twitter commentary)
Long live mother Russia
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)11. These people are delusional.
Former Moscow correspondent for the Guardian on "Russias treatment of its own whistle-blowers"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023386518
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023386518
frazzled
(18,402 posts)12. What else would they like to commend Russia for?
Its open and unfettered press? Its lack of surveillance? Its tolerance of dissent?
I wonder:
Dmitry Medvedev showed signs of wanting to allow more freedom after being installed as president in 2008, but the Putin eras political trends reaffirmed themselves. Centralized control of the regions, the creation of something close to a one-party system and draconian excesses in the course of combating terrorism are the main features of a government with little tolerance of criticism.
Although most of the Russian population gets its news from TV, there is a glaring lack of diversity in the broadcast media. As for the print media, just a few national newspapers led by Novaya Gazeta escape control and ensure a minimum of pluralism.
...
The Internet, a space where independent voices still find expression, is now being targeted by the authorities, who are trying to develop online filtering and surveillance. Bloggers are the victims of lawsuits and prosecutions, often under the anti-extremism law, which was amended in July 2007.
http://en.rsf.org/report-russia,131.html
Although most of the Russian population gets its news from TV, there is a glaring lack of diversity in the broadcast media. As for the print media, just a few national newspapers led by Novaya Gazeta escape control and ensure a minimum of pluralism.
...
The Internet, a space where independent voices still find expression, is now being targeted by the authorities, who are trying to develop online filtering and surveillance. Bloggers are the victims of lawsuits and prosecutions, often under the anti-extremism law, which was amended in July 2007.
http://en.rsf.org/report-russia,131.html
The SORM (and SORM-2) laws enable complete monitoring of any communication, electronic or traditional, by eight state agencies, without warrant. These SORM laws are believed by many[who?][citation needed] to be against the Constitution of Russia:
Constitution of Russia. Article 23:[68]
1. Everyone shall have the right to the inviolability of private life, personal and family secrets, the protection of honour and good name.
2. Everyone shall have the right to privacy of correspondence, of telephone conversations, postal, telegraph and other messages. Limitations of this right shall be allowed only by court decision.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_surveillance#Russia
Constitution of Russia. Article 23:[68]
1. Everyone shall have the right to the inviolability of private life, personal and family secrets, the protection of honour and good name.
2. Everyone shall have the right to privacy of correspondence, of telephone conversations, postal, telegraph and other messages. Limitations of this right shall be allowed only by court decision.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_surveillance#Russia
IRKUTSK, Russia It was late one afternoon in January when a squad of plainclothes police officers arrived at the headquarters of a prominent environmental group here. They brushed past the staff with barely a word and instead set upon the computers before carting them away. Taken were files that chronicled a generations worth of efforts to protect the Siberian wilderness.
The group, Baikal Environmental Wave, was organizing protests against Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putins decision to reopen a paper factory that had polluted nearby Lake Baikal, a natural wonder that by some estimates holds 20 percent of the worlds fresh water.
Instead, the group fell victim to one of the authorities newest tactics for quelling dissent: confiscating computers under the pretext of searching for pirated Microsoft software.
Across Russia, the security services have carried out dozens of similar raids against outspoken advocacy groups or opposition newspapers in recent years. Security officials say the inquiries reflect their concern about software piracy, which is rampant in Russia. Yet they rarely if ever carry out raids against advocacy groups or news organizations that back the government.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/world/europe/12raids.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
One could go on ....
Hissyspit
(45,788 posts)14. Just what they did, I imagine.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)15. Its unqualified acceptance of its LGBT community?
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)16. "The Shining"
Mojorabbit
(16,020 posts)22. This is perfect! nt
ProSense
(116,464 posts)17. Russia controls
Snowden's every move, and Wikileaks is taking advantage of the PR opportunity.
<...>
Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a veteran of Russia's human rights movement and head of the respected Moscow Helsinki Group, welcomed the news on asylum for Snowden, but added that his quest for freedom of information has landed him in a country that has little respect for that and other freedoms.
"Having fought for the freedom and rights, Snowden has ended up in a country that cracks down on them," Alexeyeva said, according to the Interfax news agency.
Rachel Denber of Human Rights Watch sounded a similar note. "He cannot but be aware of the unprecedented crackdown on human rights that the government has unleashed in the past 15 months," Denber said in an e-mailed comment.
Putin has launched a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent since his inauguration for a third presidential term in May 2012, with the Kremlin-controlled parliament stamping a series of laws that introduced heavy fines for participants in unsanctioned protests, imposed new tough restrictions on non-government organizations.
- more -
http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-leaves-airport-russia-grants-154431899.html
Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a veteran of Russia's human rights movement and head of the respected Moscow Helsinki Group, welcomed the news on asylum for Snowden, but added that his quest for freedom of information has landed him in a country that has little respect for that and other freedoms.
"Having fought for the freedom and rights, Snowden has ended up in a country that cracks down on them," Alexeyeva said, according to the Interfax news agency.
Rachel Denber of Human Rights Watch sounded a similar note. "He cannot but be aware of the unprecedented crackdown on human rights that the government has unleashed in the past 15 months," Denber said in an e-mailed comment.
Putin has launched a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent since his inauguration for a third presidential term in May 2012, with the Kremlin-controlled parliament stamping a series of laws that introduced heavy fines for participants in unsanctioned protests, imposed new tough restrictions on non-government organizations.
- more -
http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-leaves-airport-russia-grants-154431899.html
Fugitive Snowden slips out of Moscow airport for 'secure' base (updated)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023384887
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)18. Good thing he's not gay
The Link
(757 posts)20. At least Obama will think twice before droning him there.
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)25. Thanks.