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| Snowden Is Said to Claim U.S. Is Blocking Asylum Bids | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Edward J. Snowden, the fugitive former American security contractor, appeared to break his silence on Monday for the first time since he flew to Moscow eight days earlier. WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy group, issued a statement attributed to him that denounced President Obama for revoking his passport, opposing his asylum requests and leaving him a “stateless person.” | |
| The statement posted on the Web site of WikiLeaks, which has been assisting Mr. Snowden, accused Mr. Obama and the United States government of seeking to intimidate him and deceive the world because of his disclosures about the vast global surveillance efforts of American intelligence agencies. | |
| The statement attributed to Mr. Snowden cited Mr. Obama’s assertion last week that he would not permit any diplomatic “wheeling and dealing” with other countries that may wish to grant him asylum. But, it said, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has been pressuring “the leaders of nations from which I have requested protection to deny my asylum petitions.” | |
| Mr. Biden telephoned President Rafael Correa of Ecuador last week and asked him not to grant Mr. Snowden asylum, Mr. Correa said Saturday. | |
| “The Obama administration has now adopted the strategy of using citizenship as a weapon,” the statement attributed to Mr. Snowden said. “Although I am convicted of nothing, it has unilaterally revoked my passport, leaving me a stateless person. Without any judicial order, the administration now seeks to stop me exercising a basic right. A right that belongs to everybody. The right to seek asylum.” | “The Obama administration has now adopted the strategy of using citizenship as a weapon,” the statement attributed to Mr. Snowden said. “Although I am convicted of nothing, it has unilaterally revoked my passport, leaving me a stateless person. Without any judicial order, the administration now seeks to stop me exercising a basic right. A right that belongs to everybody. The right to seek asylum.” |
| A later post, which appeared early Tuesday on the WikiLeaks Web site, said that Sarah Harrison, the group’s legal adviser in the Snowden matter, had “submitted by hand a number of requests for asylum and asylum assistance on behalf” of Mr. Snowden to 19 countries. They were listed as Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela. | A later post, which appeared early Tuesday on the WikiLeaks Web site, said that Sarah Harrison, the group’s legal adviser in the Snowden matter, had “submitted by hand a number of requests for asylum and asylum assistance on behalf” of Mr. Snowden to 19 countries. They were listed as Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela. |
| The post said the requests, which “outline the risks of persecution Mr. Snowden faces in the United States,” were delivered to an official at the Russian Consulate at the Moscow airport where, according to Russian officials, Mr. Snowden is ensconced in an international transit lounge, trying to determine his next step, and has technically not entered Russian territory. It said the consulate had started delivering the requests to the relevant embassies in Moscow. | |
| The statement on Monday attributed to Mr. Snowden appeared to be the first direct word from him about his predicament since his flight to Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23 despite an American request to the Hong Kong authorities to arrest Mr. Snowden, who is accused of violating espionage laws. His disclosures have embarrassed the Obama administration and caused tensions with other countries, including China, Russia and European Union members. | The statement on Monday attributed to Mr. Snowden appeared to be the first direct word from him about his predicament since his flight to Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23 despite an American request to the Hong Kong authorities to arrest Mr. Snowden, who is accused of violating espionage laws. His disclosures have embarrassed the Obama administration and caused tensions with other countries, including China, Russia and European Union members. |
| Mr. Snowden, 30, has still not been publicly seen in Russia, and there was no way to immediately verify that he had made the statement attributed to him. | Mr. Snowden, 30, has still not been publicly seen in Russia, and there was no way to immediately verify that he had made the statement attributed to him. |
| Mr. Snowden’s case appeared to be causing tensions between the government of Ecuador and Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder. Mr. Assange has been in Ecuador’s embassy in London for more than a year, given asylum there to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning on allegations that he sexually assaulted two women. | |
| “The conduct of Assange has bothered me a little, and this morning I spoke with the foreign minister to tell him not to speak about our country’s situations,” Mr. Correa said Monday, according to Agence France-Presse. | |
| Mr. Correa was apparently displeased by comments that Mr. Assange made on Sunday on the ABC program “This Week” regarding Mr. Biden’s telephone call. Mr. Assange characterized that call as an effort to pressure Mr. Correa. “What does he know about the call from Joe Biden?” Mr. Correa was quoted as saying by A.F.P. “And he says that he called to pressure me. I have never permitted a call to put pressure on me.” | |
Rick Gladstone reported from New York, and William Neuman from Quito, Ecuador. | Rick Gladstone reported from New York, and William Neuman from Quito, Ecuador. |