The NSA whistleblower considers himself an asylee of Venezuela, as well as other countries

Jul 12, 2013 15:08 GMT  ·  By

Edward Snowden has formally accepted all offers of support or asylum he has been extended from all countries and those that may be given in the future.

In a statement published earlier with the help of WikiLeaks, Snowden claims that his asylum status is now formal with Venezuela.

“With, for example, the grant of asylum provided by Venezuela’s President Maduro, my asylee status is now formal, and no state has a basis by which to limit or interfere with my right to enjoy that asylum,” Snowden says.

Furthermore, he mentions that Western European and North American states have demonstrated a willingness to act outside the law through their actions.

He then asks for help to get safe passage to Latin America, while also mentioning that he will request temporary asylum in Russia.

The NSA whistleblower also claims that he was simply trying to correct a wrongdoing that was happening in his home country. He claims that it is obvious he did not mean to harm the United States and he did not do this to gain riches.

“I did not seek to sell US secrets. I did not partner with any foreign government to guarantee my safety. Instead, I took what I knew to the public, so what affects all of us can be discussed by all of us in the light of day, and I asked the world for justice,” the statement says.

He considers that his decision comes from moral grounds and telling the public about spying that affects everyone has been costly, but he has no regrets for doing the right thing.

He once more says that the United States is trying to make an example out of him to warn all those who might want to speak out as he has.

“I have been made stateless and hounded for my act of political expression. The United States Government has placed me on no-fly lists,” Snowden says.

Snowden also mentions the fact that the United States has demanded that Hong Kong return him to his country outside of the framework of its laws, in violation of the Law of Nations.

“It has threatened with sanctions countries who would stand up for my human rights and the UN asylum system. It has even taken the unprecedented step of ordering military allies to ground a Latin American president’s plane in search for a political refugee. These dangerous escalations represent a threat not just to the dignity of Latin America, but to the basic rights shared by every person, every nation, to live free from persecution, and to seek and enjoy asylum,” Snowden says in the statement.

However, he thanks the nations of the world that have offered him support and asylum so far, including Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Ecuador, for refusing to compromise their principles in the face of intimidation.