A Russian news outlet is reporting that U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden has requested temporary asylum in Russia.
RIA Novosti and The Associated Press reported the development early Tuesday. That’s a switch from a day ago, when media outlets were reporting the status of Mr. Snowden’s asylum request was unclear — and some Russian officials saying the request hadn’t even been received, CBS reported.
A lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, confirmed in The Irish Times that Mr. Snowden did file an application for the temporary asylum. He also said Mr. Snowden plans to move eventually to Latin America, though.
Meanwhile, RIA Novosti also reported that a Swedish sociology professor nominated Mr. Snowden, the man at the heart of the National Security Agency information leak, for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying he could “save the prize from the disrepute incurred by the hasty and ill-conceived decision” to award that prize in 2009 to President Obama.
In a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Stefan Svallfors said Mr. Snowden gave a “heroic effort at great personal cost” by going public with NSA information, RIA Novosti reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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