Edward Snowden, the 30-year-old organizer of information leaks about the activities of American intelligence services, accused US President Barack Obama of attempting diplomatic pressure on the countries to which he turned for political asylum. This is stated in a statement by Snowden, dated July 1 and published on the WikiLeaks website.

“On Thursday, President Obama announced to the world that he will not tolerate any diplomatic ‘shenanigans’ in my case. Now it is reported that, having promised not to do this, the President ordered the Vice President to put pressure on the leaders of the countries in which I sought protection so that they would deny me asylum,” said the former CIA and NSA employee, emphasizing that his right to seeking asylum violates a state that has advocated for decades to protect this right.

Earlier, American media reported that Snowden applied for political asylum in fifteen countries. On the evening of July 1, The New York Times wrote that Snowden had asked for asylum in Russia. The FMS denied this information, while the airport's consular department stated that the relevant documents were indeed handed over by Snowden's representative and sent for consideration to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Snowden, who has been hiding in Hong Kong for several weeks, has been in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport since June 23, which he cannot leave because his American passport was revoked. The US authorities, for their part, appealed to Hong Kong and then to the Russian authorities to extradite Snowden. At home, a criminal case was opened against him for espionage and theft of state property.

Snowden accused the US of violating his right to asylum