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Russian authorities to decide Snowden’s future - Ecuadorian leader

The Ecuadorian authorities are not to blame for the current situation, Delgado said
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

PARIS, June 30 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian authorities should decide the future of former CIA agent Edward Snowden, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa Delgado said on Sunday.

“At present, a decision on Snowden’s location is in the hands of the Russian authorities,” he was quoted by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency as saying. “For his request for political asylum to be considered, he should stay on the territory of Ecuador.”

The Ecuadorian authorities are not to blame for the current situation, Delgado said.

“Snowden talked with Julian Assange (the founder of the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, whom Ecuador has already granted political asylum - Itar-Tass), who recommended him to ask Ecuador for political asylum,” he said.

On Saturday the Ecuadorian president said he had discussed this issue in a telephone conversation with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

“We focused on this issue (Snowden). I was politely asked to turn down his asylum request,” Delgado said describing the conversation as “very pleasant and hearty.”

Edward Snowden is charged with violating U.S. espionage laws for leaking information about the National Security Agency’s surveillance of Internet and telephone records. He fled to Hong Kong and later left it for Moscow.