Snowden exits airport and says 'law is winning'

Edward Snowden left the transit zone of a Moscow airport yesterday and officially entered Russia after authorities granted him asylum for a year.

In a statement released by WikiLeaks, Snowden thanked Russia and hit out at the Obama administration.

“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,” he said.

“I thank the Russian Federation for granting me asylum in accordance with its laws and international obligations.”

Snowden’s whereabouts will be kept a secret for security reasons, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said.

The former National Security Agency systems analyst has been largely hiding out at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport since his arrival from Hong Kong on June 23.

The US demanded Russia send Snowden home to face prosecution for espionage over leaks that revealed US Internet surveillance practices, but Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the request.

The US has revoked his passport, and the logistics of him reaching other countries that have offered him asylum, including Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia, are complicated.

“He now is one of the most sought after men in the world,” Kucherena told reporters at the airport. “The issue of security is very important for him.”

Kucherena said it would be up to Snowden to decide whether to travel to any foreign destination, but added: “He now has no such plans.”

WikiLeaks said its legal adviser, Sarah Harrison, was with Snowden.

“We would like to thank the Russian people and all those others who have helped to protect Mr Snowden,” WikiLeaks said on Twitter. “We have won the battle -- now the war.”

Kucherena said Snowden spent little time packing and left the airport in a taxi. The lawyer said he had friends in Russia, including some Americans, who could help ensure his security, but wouldn’t elaborate. “He has got friends, including on Russian territory, American friends, who would be able to ensure his safety for the time being,” Kucherena said.

Kucherena said Russia did the right thing by offering shelter despite US pressure. “Russia has fulfilled a humanitarian mission with regard to the US citizen who has found himself in a difficult situation,” he said.

Putin’s foreign affairs aide, Yuri Ushakov, sought to downplay the impact on relations between the two countries. “This issue isn’t significant enough to have an impact on political relations,” he said.

He said the Kremlin hadn’t heard any signal from Washington that Obama could cancel his visit to Moscow ahead of next month’s G20 summit in St Petersburg.

But Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the asylum decision would hurt ties. “Edward Snowden is a fugitive who belongs in a United States courtroom, not a free man deserving of asylum in Russia,” the Democratic lawmaker said.

“Regardless of the fact that Russia is granting asylum for one year, this action is a setback to US-Russia relations. Edward Snowden will potentially do great damage to US national security interests and the information he is leaking could aid terrorists and others around the world who want to do real harm to our country.”