Edward Snowden says Russia asylum success shows 'law is winning'

Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden said on Thursday Russia's decision to grant him temporary asylum was a victory for the rule of law, thanking Moscow while accusing the Obama administration of flouting international law.
   
"Over the past eight weeks we have seen the Obama administration show no respect for international or domestic law, but in the end the law is winning. I thank the Russian Federation for granting me asylum," he said in a statement released by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.
 
This comes as the father of Edward Snowden thanked President Vladimir Putin after Russia granted his son a year's temporary asylum.
   
"I am so thankful to the Russian nation and President Vladimir Putin," Lonnie Snowden told a state television channel in an interview, in which his comments were dubbed into Russian.
 
This as ties between Russia and the United States will not suffer because of the "relatively insignificant" case of fugitive former U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden, a senior Kremlin official said.
   
"Our president has ... expressed hope many times that this will not affect the character of our relations," Yuri Ushakov told reporters, adding there was no sign that U.S. President Barack Obama would cancel a planned visit to Moscow in September.

Meanwhile, a Russian lawyer assisting Snowden said that has left for an undisclosed secure location.
   
"I have just seen him off. He has left for a secure location," Anatoly Kucherena told state broadcaster Russia 24. "Security is a very serious matter for him."

Fugitive former U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden has received refugee status in Russia, WikiLeaks said.
  
"Edward Snowden has successfully acquired refugee status in Russia and will shortly leave the airport," the anti-secrecy organisation said on Twitter.
   
RIA news agency quoted Anatoly Kucherena, a Russian lawyer assisting Snowden, as saying the 30-year-old got temporary asylum status for a year.


AP/REUTERS