14 DAY TRIAL // The White House is “extremely disappointed” that the Russian government has granted Edward Snowden temporary asylum, spokesperson Jay Carney said in a press conference.
Carney stresses the United States does not view Edward Snowden as a whistleblower or dissident, but rather as a person who leaked classified information in his home country.
“We see this as an unfortunate development and we are extremely disappointed by it,” Carney said, claiming that the White House will shortly contact the Russian authorities.
Asked if the White House would stop trying to get Snowden now that he has gained asylee status in Russia, Carney said it is unclear what the administration will do next since it will have to discuss the matter further to see what its legal options are.
However, international law states that once a person is granted temporary or political asylum, it cannot be extradited or deported to his or her country unless the situation that has pushed that person to ask for protection changes.
On the other hand, the White House spokesperson said that the United States would be inspecting the worth of a G20 summit in Russia, where president Obama is set to go later this year.
Edward Snowden has been granted temporary asylum for 12 months in Russia and has already left the transit area of the airport towards an undisclosed location.
According to his lawyer, Snowden is exhausted and simply wishes to get some rest at the moment, while eagerly awaiting to meet up with his father and girlfriend, if possible. His father, Lon Snowden, is already discussing his arrival in the Russian capital and Anatoly Kucherena has been handling the issue.
Snowden’s location will not be revealed and he has asked the media to respect this since it is a matter of safety for the NSA whistleblower.