MOSCOW, July 15 (Itar-Tass) - Former CIA agent Edward Snowden did not apply in the Federal Migration Service (FMS) for asylum in Russia.
“No documents were filed in FMS from him yet,” FMS representative Zalina Kornilova told Itar-Tass. If an application is made from him, it will be considered in the official way, she added.
Last Friday, at a meeting with human rights activists in the transit zone of the Sheremetyevo airport Snowden noted that he wants to receive temporary asylum in Russia and then to go to a Latin American country. Later Wikileaks reported that Snowden will file required documents on Friday.
“Temporary asylum is some kind of ‘humanitarian status’ or a delayed deportation,” Russia’s FMS said at its website. To be granted temporary asylum in Russia an applicant should file an appropriate application in the territorial branch of Russia’s FMS.
“When an application is accepted a certificate is issued to the applicant that the application is being considered over possible granting of asylum to him in Russia. This certificate gives the right to the applicant to stay in Russia for the period the application is being considered. The term for the consideration of the application is up to three months. The FMS territorial branch makes a decision over the application. In case of a positive decision a certificate of granting temporary asylum in Russia is issued,” FMS explained at its website.
For the period from 1997 to July 1, 2007 Russia accepted and considered the requests for recognizing them as refugees from 25,931 foreign citizens, who are comers from 87 countries. 8,683 of them were granted the status of refugees that is more than a third of applicants. From 2001 to July 1, 2007 Russia accepted and considered the applications for temporary asylum from 5,637 foreign citizens, who are comers from 59 countries. 2,446 of them were granted temporary asylum and they make 43 percent of applicants.