Fugitive US whistleblower Edward Snowden has not yet submitted an official request for asylum, Russian authorities said on Saturday.
“If an application is received, it will be processed according to the legal procedure,” the head of the Migration Service, Konstantin Romodanovsky, told Russian media.
Snowden made his first public appearance in three weeks on Friday alongside Russian rights activists and lawyers in the transit zone at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, where has been holed up since fleeing from Hong Kong three weeks ago.
The 30-year-old former systems analyst who worked as an intelligence contractor said he had applied for refuge in Russia only until he could travel safely to Latin America. Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Ecuador have signalled willingness to offer him haven if he reaches their borders.
Snowden said he saw no other way to leave the transit area of the airport than to travel further on refugee papers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously offered asylum on the condition that Snowden cease leaking secrets to avoid harming Russia’s US “partner.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said US President Barack Obama had called Putin to discuss the Snowden case. He did not give details.
Snowden revealed the existence of PRISM, a worldwide US eavesdropping operation, in Hong Kong last month. He is charged with espionage and theft of government documents, setting off the global pursuit by Washington to bring the self-proclaimed leaker home to face prosecution.