The Brazilian Foreign Ministry denied Monday that U.S. intelligence contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden has formally requested Brazil for asylum.

In an interview aired by local TV station Globo on Sunday evening, Snowden, who's temporary asylum in Russia expires in August, said that he had requested asylum from Brazilian government, and he would be happy to live in Brazil if the government approves his request.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo said Monday that officials have not received his petition.

"If the request arrives, it will be analyzed, but it has not arrived,"the minister said.

Snowden worked for the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) until he decided to blow the whistle on the agency's covert global surveillance programs, which appeared to also target Brazil.

His revelations showed the United States monitored the e-mails and phone calls of millions of ordinary Brazilians, as well as the country's president Dilma Rousseff, her top aides and the state oil and gas giant Petrobras.

The U.S. government has justified its global spying network, citing security threats, but has also indicated it may scale back the dimensions of its monitoring.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)