MOSCOW, July 12. /ITAR-TASS/. Member of the Public Chamber of Russia Olga Kostina has confirmed in an interview with ITAR-TASS a scheduled meeting of Edward Snowden with human rights activists.
According to her, the situation is very complicated, “we cannot /extradite Snowden/ in a country where he might die, on the other hand, the relationship with the United States are complicated and we don’t want to further aggravate them.” “We’ll ponder a way out” Kostina explained the significance of the upcoming meeting.
Lawyer Henry Padva also confirmed that he had received an invitation to meet with Snowden. “I have really received the invitation, but unfortunately, I'm busy and cannot go” he told ITAR-TASS.
The head of the Moscow office of Amnesty International Sergei Nikitin has also confirmed that he had received an invitation to meet with the former CIA officer.
“I have received an invitation and I plan to go" Nikitin told ITAR-TASS. He did not specify the details, as he believes this information should be “confidential.”
“This meeting is necessary personally for Snowden” the human rights activist noted.
The Airport spokeswoman Anna Zakharenkova reported that the administration of Sheremetyevo Airport is preparing a meeting of human rights activists with Snowden, which has been planned.
“We aren’t engaged in accreditation and invitation issues for the meeting, but we will be helping with the passage of representatives of human rights organizations, who were invited to the meeting, and provide a platform in the airport,” Zakharenkova said.
According to her, the meeting will take place in Terminal F at approximately 17:00 MSK.
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has not given any comments on a possible between human rights activists and former CIA technical contractor Edward Snowden. Answering a question if U.S. diplomats go to Sheremetyevo, a U.S. diplomat told Itar-Tass that the embassy had not given any comment on the situation around Snowden.
Snowden set to make a statement
Ex-CIA officer Edward Snowden, having lost U.S. citizenship, may ask for political asylum in Russia. Those who have been invited to the meeting don’t exclude this.
In particular, the president of the Chamber of Lawyers of Moscow Henry Reznik confirmed that last night he has received an e-mail invitation to a meeting with Snowden. “This letter was received by many individuals and organizations” Henry Reznik said.
He said the letter was in English, signed “sincerely, Joseph Snowden /middle name of Snowden - ITAR-TASS/.”
“This letter says that he is set to make a statement, denouncing the United States in violation of international law, in particular Article 14 of the Declaration of Human Rights, because they interfere him in obtaining political asylum in other countries, and requests support” Henry Reznik added.
As for the sense of the meeting, he did not rule out that Snowden could “make a statement with a request for political asylum in Russia.” “This is my subjective forecast, as it seems that the purpose of such meetings is simple” the source said.
Meanwhile, Reznik said that it is unlikely he can arrive at Sheremetyevo, because he has already appointed a number of important meetings, and one of them scheduled after 14:00, “is unlikely subject to be shifted.” However, he did not rule out that, if he has time, we will try to come.
The representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Russia has also received an invitation to meet with former CIA officer Edward Snowden, but cannot vouch for its authenticity. This was told to Itar-Tass in the department's Office in the Russian capital.
“Our office really received via e-mail a letter allegedly signed by Snowden” the agency’s interlocutor said. “We cannot in any way comment on the content of this document and we don’t know whether it is authentic."
Former U.S. intelligence officer Edward Snowden has once again missed the plane of Aeroflot, that has arrived on Thursday evening to Havana from Moscow.
The latest wave of rumors about the possible arrival of Snowden to Havana arose from the fact that the route of the Aeroflot aircraft did not pass through U.S. airspace this time. Later it has been reported that the course was changed due to meteorological reasons.