MOSCOW, July 17 (Itar-Tass) - Former CIA technical contractor Edward Snowden cannot be expelled from Russia until his request on granting temporary asylum is being considered, law enforcement sources told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.
“This will not happen even if the U.S. files an official request to Russian competent bodies to extradite Snowden because the former CIA technical contractor has given an application to grant him temporary asylum. Till the application is being considered he cannot be extradited,” the sources said.
“If Snowden is granted temporary asylum, he cannot be deported because in compliance with law a person, who is granted asylum, cannot be returned without his will to the state what citizen he is,” the sources said.
They said Russian law enforcers had no pretensions to Snowden. Before Snowden gave an application to grant him asylum he was not within eyeshot of law enforcers because “he did not cross the border and remained at the transit zone. He is here now”, the sources said.