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Snowden and NSA leaks

Migration Service keeps silent on possible issue of certificate enabling Snowden to stay in Russia

Earlier, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena did not rule out that Snowden could leave the transit zone of the Sheremetyevo airport on July 24

Photo ITAR-TASS

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 24 (Itar-Tass) - The Federal Migration Service has not commented the information alleging the issue of a certificate to former CIA employee Edward Snowden enabling him to stay in Russia.

Earlier, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena did not rule out that Snowden could leave the transit zone of the Sheremetyevo airport on July 24, which is the deadline for review of the documents submitted by Snowden to the Federal Migration Service a week ago. The certificate in question grants the right to stay in Russia for the period of consideration of his request for temporary asylum.

"We don't comment this information," an FMS official told Itar-Tass. The decision on granting temporary asylum to Snowden should be made within three months from the application date.

The procedure of submitting the application includes an interview, filling a form, fingerprinting and mandatory medical check.

Snowden has been in Sheremetyevo since June 23. He arrived there from Hong Kong as a transit passenger.

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