[caption id="attachment_35787" align="alignright" width="210"] Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa speaks during his program 'Enlace Ciudadano', on June 29, 2013.[/caption]
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa says Russia will make the decision about the destination of American intelligence whistleblower who has holed up in an airport in Moscow.
“At this moment, the solution of Snowden's destination is in the hands of Russian authorities,” Correa said in an interview with the private Oromar channel late Saturday.

Snowden arrived in Moscow’s international airport from Hong Kong last Sunday. The U.S. has revoked his passport to prevent him from travelling. However, he has applied for asylum in Ecuador.

According to the law in Ecuador, asylum requests can be processed only when the applicant is in Ecuadorian territories.

Snowden, a former analyst at the National Security Agency, has revealed top secret intelligence documents about the U.S. surveillance programs in the country and abroad. He faces charges of espionage and theft of government property.

Correa said Snowden has requested asylum in Ecuador on the advice of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who released hundreds of thousands of U.S. classified documents three years ago. Also wanted by the U.S., Assange has taken refuge at the Ecuadorian embassy in London since last year.

Correa spoke with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden early Saturday. In his weekly address, the Ecuadorian leader said Biden had asked him to “please reject” Snowden’s asylum request. He said he would consult the U.S. on making any decision about the application but added Quito would have the final say regarding the issue.

By Press TV

 

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