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Lukashenka urges Russia to grant asylum to Snowden

 

Russia should have granted political asylum to US fugitive ex-CIA analyst Edward Snowden long ago, Alyaksandr Lukashenka told reporters in Minsk on July 25.

The Belarusian leader said that the United States had offered refuge to "hundreds of Russian traitors." "They have taken away so many secrets from here, they have given refuge to and refused to hand over so many terrorists wanted by Russia," the government's news agency BelTA quoted him as saying.

Mr. Lukashenka welcomed Russia's apparent willingness to give asylum to Mr. Snowden. "Then they would know that the world is global, interdependent, and if a person is a terrorist in Russia he will do something untoward in America tomorrow," he said. "That's why if I were in the Russian leadership's place I would act more resolutely and it would be well justified."

Mr. Lukashenka added that the United States had the right to call Ms. Snowden a traitor. According to him, the man should have known what to expect when he applied for a job with US secret services. "If you have come to work there, work. But if you want to engage in human rights activities, promote some human rights, you should resign from the secret service," he concluded.

Mr. Lukashenka reiterated his criticism of Washington over Mr. Snowden's leaks. "They spied on entire Western Europe, sifted 500 million calls every day," he said. "Why are you interfering in the private lives of people?"

He stressed that the United States had no right to accuse Belarus of human rights abuse following the revelations. "There are no human rights there, there are only violations, and the Snowden case and other cases prove that," he said.

Mr. Lukashenka said that Minsk should stay away from the scandal. "What they do to human rights and to people in general is unacceptable," he noted. "But let them deal with their Snowden themselves, this is just the beginning for Americans. They will be putting out the fire in different areas. They have started it and they will be putting it out." // BelaPAN