‘Find a safe haven,’ father to Snowden
1 Aug 2013 11:48 PM GMT
The father of US fugitive Edward Snowden reached out to his son on Russia’s national television on Wednesday, telling him he did not mind if the intelligence leaker stays in Russia as long as he is safe. ‘Edward, I hope you are watching this. Your family is well. We love you. We hope you are healthy, we hope you are well, I hope to see you soon, but most of all I want you to be safe. I want you to find a safe haven,’ Lon Snowden said in an interview broadcast on Rossiya24 channel.
Edward Snowden has been holed up in Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow since 23 June, when he flew in from Hong Kong after leaking information about US surveillance programmes. He is currently awaiting a response to his request for temporary asylum in Russia. In the interview dubbed into Russian, Lon Snowden said he hoped his son would return home one day. But he said that events over the past few weeks suggested that there were no guarantees of a fair trial in the US and that he therefore agreed with his son’s decision to remain in Russia.A second Cormoran Strike novel is due for publication next year.
Thankful to Putin
Snowden’s father also said on Russian television that he is grateful to the Kremlin for protecting his son. Speaking to the channel, Lon Snowden thanked president Vladimir Putin and his government for the ‘courage’ they have shown in keeping his son safe. Addressing his son, Lon Snowden said that ‘your family is well and we love you. I hope to see you soon, but most of all I want you to be safe.’
Willing to fly to Moscow on FBI request
Lon also said he was willing to agree to a request by FBI to fly to Moscow to see his son, but first needed to know what the security services wanted. Lon said FBI had suggested a ‘few weeks ago’ he should travel to Moscow to talk to his son, who faces espionage charges in the US.
‘I received this suggestion (from the FBI to travel to Moscow) a few weeks ago, and I have yet to decline it,’ Lon said. He added he would first like to know what FBI wanted him to do. He said he believed his 30-year-old son, who has applied for temporary asylum in Russia after the cancellation of his travel documents meant he was unable to travel on to a preferred destination in Latin America, was better off in Moscow.
‘If he wants to spend the rest of his life in Russia, I would agree. I am not against it. If I were in his place, I would stay in Russia, and I hope that Russia will accept him,’ he said. Lonnie Snowden again said he did not think his son would get a fair trial in the US because of ‘what happened in the last 5-6 weeks.’
Edward Snowden has been holed up in Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow since 23 June, when he flew in from Hong Kong after leaking information about US surveillance programmes. He is currently awaiting a response to his request for temporary asylum in Russia. In the interview dubbed into Russian, Lon Snowden said he hoped his son would return home one day. But he said that events over the past few weeks suggested that there were no guarantees of a fair trial in the US and that he therefore agreed with his son’s decision to remain in Russia.A second Cormoran Strike novel is due for publication next year.
Thankful to Putin
Snowden’s father also said on Russian television that he is grateful to the Kremlin for protecting his son. Speaking to the channel, Lon Snowden thanked president Vladimir Putin and his government for the ‘courage’ they have shown in keeping his son safe. Addressing his son, Lon Snowden said that ‘your family is well and we love you. I hope to see you soon, but most of all I want you to be safe.’
Willing to fly to Moscow on FBI request
Lon also said he was willing to agree to a request by FBI to fly to Moscow to see his son, but first needed to know what the security services wanted. Lon said FBI had suggested a ‘few weeks ago’ he should travel to Moscow to talk to his son, who faces espionage charges in the US.
‘I received this suggestion (from the FBI to travel to Moscow) a few weeks ago, and I have yet to decline it,’ Lon said. He added he would first like to know what FBI wanted him to do. He said he believed his 30-year-old son, who has applied for temporary asylum in Russia after the cancellation of his travel documents meant he was unable to travel on to a preferred destination in Latin America, was better off in Moscow.
‘If he wants to spend the rest of his life in Russia, I would agree. I am not against it. If I were in his place, I would stay in Russia, and I hope that Russia will accept him,’ he said. Lonnie Snowden again said he did not think his son would get a fair trial in the US because of ‘what happened in the last 5-6 weeks.’
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