Russian FM dismisses U.S. accusations over Snowden case as «groundless, unacceptable"
MOSCOW. June 25. KAZINFORM Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed on Tuesday the U.S. accusations over Edward Snowden as "groundless and unacceptable," saying the fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker did not cross border into Russia.
"We deem absolutely ungrounded and unacceptable the attempts we are witnessing to accuse the Russian side of violation of U.S. laws," Lavrov told a press conference after talks with his Algerian counterpart Murad Medelci.
"There are no legal grounds whatsoever for this behavior of U.S. officials," he said.
A White House spokesman said on Monday that the United States had asked Russia to extradite Snowden charged with espionage and theft of government property.
"I wish to say promptly that we have nothing to do with Snowden, his relations with the U.S. Department of Justice or his movements around the world," the minister said, adding "he picked his route on his own ... Snowden has not crossed the Russian border."
Snowden, 30, disclosed information on Washington's secretive surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence.
He arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo international airport on Sunday from Hong Kong. Earlier media reports said he would take a flight to Havana on Monday, but he did not show up on the plane.
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White House expecting Russia to expel Snowden back to U.S.
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Monday that it was expecting Russia to look at the options available to expel fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden back to the country.
"It is our assumption that he is in Russia," spokesman Jay Carney told reporters at a regular press briefing. Full story
White House expecting Russia to expel Snowden back to U.S.
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Monday that it was expecting Russia to look at the options available to expel fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden back to the country.
"It is our assumption that he is in Russia," spokesman Jay Carney told reporters at a regular press briefing. Full story
Snowden "healthy and safe", whereabouts undisclosed
MOSCOW, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Minutes after the jet bridge of a Moscow-Havana flight disembarked on Monday, journalists dashing to seat 17A got disappointed as Edward Snowden, the U.S. intelligence whistleblower, was not there.
Snowden, charged by the U.S. government with three felonies, including two under the Espionage Act, reportedly arrived in Moscow's Sheremetyevo international airport on Sunday and was expected to take Aeroflot flight SU150 to Havana, Cuba on Monday. Full story
Source: XINHUA