Snowden to speak to European Parliament, delegate claims
The German member of the European Parliament, Jan Philipp Albrecht, said on Thursday that Snowden (pictured) would be appearing by videolink at a session of the assembly's Committee on Legal Affairs.
The former intelligence contractor turned whistleblower would be available to answer questions posed by delegates investigating the issue of mass-surveillance of European Union citizens by the National Security Agency (NSA), Albrecht said in a statement posted to his website. The committee sitting could take place as early as December 18.
Earlier this year, Snowden leaked details of the NSA's far-reaching spying programs that stirred international criticism over the extent of global surveillance. Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum by Russia, provided documents to reporters at the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers, including details of the NSA's secret PRISM program.
"It's a great success for the European parliament that Edward Snowden has already agreed to testify publicly as a key witness in the surveillance scandal," said Albrecht. "Half a year after the first publications from his collection of numerous NSA documents, the truth of which has not so far been refuted, there are still consequences as far as political responsibility is concerned."
"That is something the European Parliament must now demand."
http://www.dw.de/snowden-to-speak-to-european-parliament-delegate-claims/a-17274669
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