Statement by Edward Snowden to human rights groups at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport
Friday July 12, 15:00 UTC
Wikileaks
Edward Joseph Snowden delivered a statement to human rights
organizations and individuals at Sheremetyevo airport at 5pm Moscow time
today, Friday 12th July. The meeting lasted 45 minutes. The human
rights organizations included Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch and were given the opportunity afterwards to ask Mr Snowden
questions.
The Human Rights Watch representative used this opportunity
to tell Mr Snowden that on her way to the airport she had received a
call from the US Ambassador to Russia, who asked her to relay to Mr
Snowden that the US Government does not categorise Mr Snowden as a
whistleblower and that he has broken United States law. This further
proves the United States Government’s persecution of Mr Snowden and
therefore that his right to seek and accept asylum should be upheld.
Seated to the left of Mr. Snowden was Sarah Harrison, a legal advisor in
this matter from WikiLeaks and to Mr. Snowden’s right, a translator.Transcript of Edward Joseph Snowden statement, given at 5pm Moscow
time on Friday 12th July 2013. (Transcript corrected to delivery)
Hello. My name is Ed Snowden. A little over one month ago, I had
family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort. I also had the
capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your
communications. Anyone’s communications at any time. That is the power
to change people’s fates.
It is also a serious violation of the law. The 4th and 5th Amendments
to the Constitution of my country, Article 12 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and numerous statutes and treaties forbid
such systems of massive, pervasive surveillance. While the US
Constitution marks these programs as illegal, my government argues that
secret court rulings, which the world is not permitted to see, somehow
legitimize an illegal affair. These rulings simply corrupt the most
basic notion of justice – that it must be seen to be done. The immoral
cannot be made moral through the use of secret law.
I believe in the principle declared at Nuremberg in 1945:
"Individuals have international duties which transcend the national
obligations of obedience. Therefore individual citizens have the duty to
violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from
occurring."
Accordingly, I did what I believed right and began a campaign to
correct this wrongdoing. I did not seek to enrich myself. I did not seek
to sell US secrets. I did not partner with any foreign government to
guarantee my safety. Instead, I took what I knew to the public, so what
affects all of us can be discussed by all of us in the light of day, and
I asked the world for justice.
That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all
of us has been costly, but it was the right thing to do and I have no
regrets.
Since that time, the government and intelligence services of the
United States of America have attempted to make an example of me, a
warning to all others who might speak out as I have. I have been made
stateless and hounded for my act of political expression. The United
States Government has placed me on no-fly lists. It demanded Hong Kong
return me outside of the framework of its laws, in direct violation of
the principle of non-refoulement – the Law of Nations. It has threatened
with sanctions countries who would stand up for my human rights and the
UN asylum system. It has even taken the unprecedented step of ordering
military allies to ground a Latin American president’s plane in search
for a political refugee. These dangerous escalations represent a threat
not just to the dignity of Latin America, but to the basic rights shared
by every person, every nation, to live free from persecution, and to
seek and enjoy asylum.
Yet even in the face of this historically disproportionate
aggression, countries around the world have offered support and asylum.
These nations, including Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and
Ecuador have my gratitude and respect for being the first to stand
against human rights violations carried out by the powerful rather than
the powerless. By refusing to compromise their principles in the face of
intimidation, they have earned the respect of the world. It is my
intention to travel to each of these countries to extend my personal
thanks to their people and leaders.
I announce today my formal acceptance of all offers of support or
asylum I have been extended and all others that may be offered in the
future. With, for example, the grant of asylum provided by Venezuela’s
President Maduro, my asylee status is now formal, and no state has a
basis by which to limit or interfere with my right to enjoy that asylum.
As we have seen, however, some governments in Western European and
North American states have demonstrated a willingness to act outside the
law, and this behavior persists today. This unlawful threat makes it
impossible for me to travel to Latin America and enjoy the asylum
granted there in accordance with our shared rights.
This willingness by powerful states to act extra-legally represents a
threat to all of us, and must not be allowed to succeed. Accordingly, I
ask for your assistance in requesting guarantees of safe passage from
the relevant nations in securing my travel to Latin America, as well as
requesting asylum in Russia until such time as these states accede to
law and my legal travel is permitted. I will be submitting my request to
Russia today, and hope it will be accepted favorably.
If you have any questions, I will answer what I can.
Thank you.
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Also see:
Live coverge:
Friday, July 12, 2013: The Guardian
Video News: Snowden meets with human rights groups, will apply for Russian asylum before trying for Latin America
RT News
The UN calls for respect for Snowden's right to seek asylum
Democratic Underground
12 de Julio de 2013 | 14:41
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said today
that former U.S. intelligence analyst Edward Snowden has the right to
seek asylum and should be protected for disclosing information that
violates human rights.
"Snowden's case shows the need to protect people who disclose
information that has implications for the respect of human rights and
the importance of ensuring respect for the right to privacy," said
Pillay said in a statement.
La ONU pide que se respete el derecho de Snowden a solicitar asilo
La Alta Comisionada de Derechos Humanos de la ONU, Navi Pillay,
afirmó hoy que el ex analista de la CIA estadounidense Edward Snowden
tiene derecho a solicitar asilo y deberÃa ser protegido por haber
revelado información que atenta contra los derechos humanos.
"El caso de Snowden muestra la necesidad de proteger a las personas
que revelan información que tiene implicaciones en el respeto de los
derechos humanos, asà como la importancia de asegurar el respeto por el
derecho a la privacidad", aseguró Pillay citada en un comunicado.
http://www.eldeber.com.bo/la-onu-pide-que-se-respete-el-derecho-de-snowden-a-solicitar-asilo-/130712144141?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Amnesty International Meets U.S. Whistleblower Edward Snowden
