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US presses Russia to expel Snowden

Xinhua, June 25, 2013

• The White House said on Monday that it was expecting Russia to look at the options available to expel fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden back to the country.

  "It is our assumption that he is in Russia," spokesman Jay Carney told reporters at a regular press briefing.

  "I would say that we are, obviously, in conversations, and that we are working with them or discussing with them and -- or rather, expecting them to look at the options available to them to expel Mr. Snowden back to the United States to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged," he said.

  Snowden, 30, was charged by Washington with espionage and theft of government property following his disclosure of massive secret phone and Internet surveillance programs of the National Security Agency (NSA).

  Snowden, the target of a U.S. arrest warrant, left Hong Kong on Sunday aboard a flight and landed in Moscow, as he is reportedly seeking asylum in Ecuador.

  "I would note that given our intensified cooperation with Russia, after the Boston Marathon bombings, and our history of working with Russia on law enforcement matters, including returning numerous high-level criminals back to Russia at the request of the Russian government, that we do expect the Russian government to look at all the options available to them to expel Mr. Snowden back to the United States," Carney said.

  A Russian official, however, said Monday that the United States has no right to demand the arrest and extradition of Snowden by Russia.

  Besides, the former NSA contractor has not committed any crime in Russia, nor have Russian authorities received any request from the International Criminal Police Organization on arrest, said Russian human rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin.

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