Summary
12 July 2013
Edward Snowden, the man who leaked information about US intelligence, is expected to meet with human rights groups in Moscow today. The former CIA contractor is wanted by the US on charges of giving away secrets about US spying schemes.
Reporter:
Steven Rosenberg
Edward Snowden is believed to be currently staying at a Moscow airport
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Report
He's been stuck in the transit zone of Moscow airport for nearly three weeks - unable to enter Russia or to fly out. Now it appears that Edward Snowden has called a meeting at the airport to discuss his predicament.
Among those he has reportedly emailed invitations to are representatives of human rights organisations and prominent Russian lawyers. In one email, allegedly from Mr Snowden, which has been made public by the group Human Rights Watch, the 30-year-old American complained that the US government was waging an "unlawful campaign" to prevent him from securing asylum.
The head of the press office at Sheremetevo airport confirmed a meeting would take place in the transit area. It's scheduled for 5 o'clock this afternoon Moscow time.
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Vocabulary
- transit zone
part of an international airport where passengers wait for their flight to another country
- predicament
difficult situation
- representatives
people who speak or make decisions for an organisation
- human rights organisations
groups of people who fight for basic rights and freedom of speech for everyone
- prominent
important and well known
- waging
starting and continuing a fight
- unlawful
illegal; against the law
- asylum
the right to live in another country in order to live safely
- the press office
the department in an organisation that deals with journalists
- scheduled
planned to happen at a fixed time
