Expatica news

Snowden’s father has visa to visit Russia: lawyer

The father of fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden has obtained a visa to visit his son in Russia, the family lawyer said Sunday.

Attorney Bruce Fein said he and Lon Snowden will both visit Russia soon, but would not say when.

“We have a date which we won’t discuss because of the frenzy,” Fein said on ABC television.

Lon Snowden said on the same programme that he has not spoken to his son since he fled the United States and eventually ended up in Russia.

He said he wants his son to return to America at some point but right now does not think he would get a fair trial.

Edward Snowden, a 30-year-old former National Security Agency computer administrator, is wanted in the United States for espionage and other charges after leaking details of vast US telephone and Internet surveillance programs.

Russia recently granted him a year’s asylum after he spent weeks marooned at the airport in Moscow.