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Russia to study circumstances of Snowden’s arrival before granting asylum

Snowden is still in the transit zone of the Sheremetyevo airport where he gave the application to the Federal Migration Service to grant him temporary asylum
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 17 (Itar-Tass) - Russia will study the circumstances of former CIA technical contractor Edward Snowden’s arrival before he is granted temporary asylum, well-informed sources told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

“By considering his statement Russia will study an application that he [Snowden] filled in and the circumstances of his arrival. Then Russia will decide if he really needs temporary asylum,” the sources said.

Snowden is still in the transit zone of the Sheremetyevo airport where he gave the application to the Federal Migration Service /FMS/ to grant him temporary asylum.

A decision on his statement should be taken within three months. “In addition, Snowden, who filled in the application, has to be conducted an interview and fingerprinting after he gets a certificate, which will prove his identity and give the right to stay in Russia,” the sources said.

The sources said, “It’s Snowden who will decide himself if he leaves the transit zone or not. In any case in order to fill all necessary documents and get through medical examination he has to leave the transit zone.” Snowden will be able to live in the FMS temporary accommodation centre or lease housing. When granting temporary asylum he has to register his temporary residence.

The FMS writes on the website that temporary asylum “is a kind of humanitarian status or postponed expulsion”. “If a positive decision is taken, a certificate on temporary asylum will be given. The negative decision can be complained against per standard procedure. Temporary asylum is granted for a year and can be extended for 12 months annually,” website reports.

Under certain circumstances, a person can be deprived of temporary asylum in Russia.

The FMS has three accommodation centres for citizens who search for asylum in Russia. The centres can deploy 180 people.

A person who has granted temporary asylum cannot be returned to the state what citizen he is. In addition, the refugee status is being lost if a person leaves the country.