Russian authorities have promised to join the ranks of those willing to consider giving Snowden political asylum, if he files a formal request, Kommersant newspaper reports citing a Kremlin spokesman on Tuesday.
“If we receive such a request, we will consider it,” Dmitry Peskov was quoted.
The whereabouts of whistleblower Edward Snowden were shrouded in mystery on Monday as US lawmakers demanded his immediate extradition from Hong Kong over his sensational leaking of an Internet surveillance program.
Snowden, a 29-year-old technology expert working for a private firm subcontracted to the US National Security Agency, checked out of his Hong Kong hotel after revealing his identity to the British-based Guardian newspaper on Sunday.
The private contractor has become an instant hero for transparency advocates and libertarians around the globe following his exposure of the NSA's worldwide monitoring of private users web traffic and phone records.
