Snowden unlikely to gain asylum in Ecuador

| Thursday June 27, 2013 00:00

Ricardo Patino, Ecuador's Foreign Minister, said Snowden's case was similar to that of the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, who has been granted asylum at the country's embassy in London.'It took us two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time,' Patino said during a visit to Malaysia. He said Ecuador would 'consider all the risks' in granting asylum, including concerns that it could harm trade ties with the US.

Sander Levin, a US congressman, told The Hill newspaper yesterday that if Ecuador granted Snowden asylum there was no 'basis for even discussing' extending a trade deal up for renewal in July.Snowden fled Hong Kong on Sunday after leaking secret documents revealing US surveillance programmes.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, confirmed on Tuesday that Snowden had arrived in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport and was waiting in its transit area following days of speculation as to his whereabouts.Reporters at the airport have seen no sign of Snowden, fuelling suspicion that he is being hidden by the Russians.Despite remarks by Putin that he hoped Snowden would leave the country soon, it appeared Snowden might have to settle in at the Sheremetyevo Airport for a while.(the guardian)