Post date: Jul 02, 2013 4:37:2 PM
The Polish prime minister confirms that Edward Snowden's request for political asylum in Poland has been turned down.
WARSAW, POLAND (JULY 2, 2013) (REUTERS) - Poland's Prime Minister confirmed on Tuesday (July 2) that Warsaw had rejected Edward Snowden's request for asylum.
Donald Tusk said the 30-year-old American, who is wanted by Washington for espionage, would not be accepted in the eastern European state."I have received information from the Foreign Minister that Snowden has requested asylum in Poland, among other countries, but Poland is not going to grant it," Tusk said.
According to the WikiLeaks website, Snowden has prepared asylum requests in countries including India, China, Brazil, Ireland, Austria, Bolivia, Cuba, Finland,France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Spain,Switzerland and Venezuela.
But several countries, including Snowden's favoured Ecuador, said on Tuesday they could not consider an asylum request from Snowden unless he was on their territory
Norway said he was unlikely to get asylum there, while Brazil ruled out even answering his request.
Finland, Spain, Ireland and Austria said he had to be in their countries to make a request, while India said "we see no reason" to accept his petition. France said it had not received a request and China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said she had no information on Snowden's asylum request.
Officials in Russia, which has made clear it wants Snowden to leave, say an embassy car would be considered foreign territory if a country picked him up.
Moscow is unwilling to send Snowden to the United States, a move that could make it look weak, and it has no extradition treaty with Washington. But it also does not want to damage ties with the United States over a man with whom Putin, a former KGB spy, has little sympathy.