‘It is Snowden's unassailable right, enshrined in international law, to claim asylum and this should not be impeded’ - Michael Bochenek

The US authorities’ relentless campaign to hunt down and block whistleblower Edward Snowden’s attempts to seek asylum is deplorable and amounts to a gross violation of his human rights, Amnesty International said today.

Senior US officials have already condemned Snowden without a trial, labelling him both guilty and a traitor, raising serious questions as to whether he would receive a fair trial in the USA. Likewise the US authorities move to charge Snowden under the Espionage Act could would leave him with no provision to launch a public interest whistle-blowing defence under US law.

Besides filing charges against Snowden, the US authorities have revoked his passport - which interferes with his rights to freedom of movement and to seek asylum elsewhere.

Amnesty also believes that the National Security Agency whistleblower could be at risk of ill-treatment if extradited to the USA.

Amnesty International Director of Law and Policy Michael Bochenek said:

“The US attempts to pressure governments to block Snowden’s attempts to seek asylum are deplorable.

“It is his unassailable right, enshrined in international law, to claim asylum and this should not be impeded.

“No country can return a person to another country where there is a serious risk of ill-treatment.

“We know that others who have been prosecuted for similar acts have been held in conditions that not only Amnesty International but UN officials considered cruel inhuman and degrading treatment in violation of international law.

“It appears he is being charged by the US government primarily for revealing its - and other governments’ - unlawful actions that violate human rights.

“No one should be charged under any law for disclosing information of human rights violations. Such disclosures are protected under the rights to information and freedom of expression.

“Snowden is a whistleblower. He has disclosed issues of enormous public interest in the US and around the world. And yet instead of addressing or even owning up to these actions, the US government is more intent on going after Edward Snowden.

“Any forced transfer to the USA would put him at risk of human rights violations and must be challenged.”