Edward Snowden gave the first television interview from Russia

Former American intelligence officer Edward Snowden, who publicized the data on the secret electronic surveillance program, gave the first television interview from Russia. He talked in an atmosphere of strict secrecy with the journalist of the German television company NDR .

Snowden accused the US National Security Agency of being engaged in industrial espionage.

As an example, he noted: "If information appears about Siemens, and they (American special services) consider it useful for national interests, and not for the interests of national security of the United States, they are looking for and receive this information." (Quote for "Interfax" .)

As the Echo of Moscow reports, he also admitted that he did not have secret documents with him. Once again he said that he handed all the papers to reporters.

Snowden received temporary asylum in Russia on August 1, 2013 for a period of one year. The 30-year-old American, who transferred information about the leading special services of mass surveillance in the media, fled to the territory of the Russian Federation last June. He spent more than a month in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo Airport.

In the homeland of Snowden, a violation of the two articles of the US Law on espionage of 1917 is an unauthorized disclosure of secret information affecting the national defense, and the deliberate transfer of data from American intelligence to persons who are not entitled to receive such information. He also blames the theft of the property of the US government. For each of the prosecution points, Snowden faces up to 10 years in prison.

In Germany, the scandal received a great resonance after it became known that the US intelligence services were listened to one of the chancellor's phones Angel Merkel.