Snowden Formally Requests Temporary Asylum in Russia

Refuge where he can find it

National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden has submitted a request for temporary asylum in Russia, his lawyer has said.

Anatoly Kucherena, a lawyer who is a member of the Public Chamber, a Kremlin advisory body, said that Snowden submitted the asylum request to Russia's Federal Migration Service. The service had no immediate comment.

Kucherena told The Associated Press that he met Snowden in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and Snowden made the request after the meeting.

He said Russian law contains no specific time frame for considering an asylum request.