Snowden to seek asylum in Russia Edward Snowden, the fugitive US whistleblower, told Russian human rights activists, lawyers and politicians assembled at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Friday that he would seek asylum in Russia. The request faces an uncertain reaction from the Kremlin, which has previously made it clear that it would like to be rid of Mr Snowden, who has been trapped in the transit zone of the airport for two and a half weeks. However, it is clear that the former National Security Agency contractor has few other options, with no way to travel to Latin America, where he has been offered asylum by three countries. Friday was the first time Mr Snowden had come out of hiding since arriving in Moscow on June 23 from Hong Kong. His reappearance begins another chapter in the saga of the now stateless former spy, whose US passport was withdrawn last month. The meeting with Russian figures seemed designed to appeal to domestic constituencies to come to his assistance and convince sceptical Russian authorities to grant his asylum request. In addition to human rights figures, there was one parliamentary deputy from President Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party in attendance. While journalists were not permitted in the meeting, and Mr Snowden asked that no pictures be taken, a little over two minutes of his presentation, apparently at the beginning, was illicitly filmed by a participant and placed on Lifenews, a Russian website with close ties to the Kremlin. "A little over one month ago, I had a family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort," Mr Snowden told his audience. I also had the capability, without any warrant of law, to search for seize and read your communications. Anyone's communications, at any time. That is the power to change people's fates. It is also a serious violation of the law. Jay Carney, White House spokesman, criticised Russia for "providing a propaganda platform" for Mr Snowden. He said that his appearance on Friday contradicted Russian statements "that they have no control over his presence in the airport" or that "they do not want Mr Snowden to further damage US interests." President Barack Obama was to speak with Mr Putin on Friday in a call that was arranged before Mr Snowden's latest statement, the White House said. Accounts of the closed-door meeting came from more than a dozen participants as they emerged from somewhere in the bowels of Sheremetyevo's Terminal F after an hour-long audience with Mr Snowden. They had been notified of the meeting the previous night in emails, apparently sent by him, which many of them initially believed to be a prank. Several of the participants said they had heard Mr Snowden say during the meeting that the request for asylum in Russia would be temporary, until he could find a way to get to more permanent residence in either Bolivia, Venezuela or Nicaragua, countries which have publicly said they would grant him asylum. Others said they did not hear him say this. Tanya Lokshina of Human Rights Watch said: "He will submit his application for asylum in Russia straight away. At the same time he plans to travel to Latin America at some point. So he perceives his stay in Russia as temporary. The word "temporary" seems designed to mollify Russian officials concerned about the consequences on already fraught US-Russia relations of Mr Snowden's long stay at the airport. When Mr Snowden applied for asylum a week ago, Russian officials at first denied he had, and then hastily said the following day that he had "changed his mind." On Friday, some pro-regime parliamentary deputies said they supported granting him asylum. Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, said she believed Mr Snowden was being persecuted in the US and cited the application of the death penalty in several states. But Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Mr Putin, said he had no confirmation of Mr Snowden's intentions. He also reiterated Mr Putin's position that Mr Snowden could stay in Russia, but only if he stopped "damaging the United States," presumably through more disclosures. Vyachelsav Nikonov, the parliamentary deputy from the United Russia faction, who was also in the meetings, said that Mr Snowden had made such a pledge during Friday's meeting.. Mr Snowden said he "definitely did not" have plans to release the secrets that would hurt the US, according to Mr Nikonov. "Reason number one, that was all in the past," said Mr Nikonov. Any harm he did to the US was all in the past. What journalists are blowing up now is not his fault. Second, [Snowden said] that he has no intention of hurting the US as he is a loyal citizen. Mr Snowden's request will put Mr Putin in a difficult position, in which he cannot appear to be caving into US pressure, but is anxious not to allow relations with the US to slide further towards confrontation. Second, [Snowden said] that he has no intention of hurting the US as he is a loyal citizen Vyachelsav Nikonov, Russian parliamentary deputy Staying in the airport has apparently taken its toll on Mr Snowden, who was at one point interrupted by a flight announcement, and said, with an expression of mock fatigue: "I have heard this many times over the last couple of weeks." In the invitation email, Mr Snowden denounced what he said was unprecedented "threatening behaviour" by the US in seeking to deny his right to seek asylum: "In recent weeks we have witnessed an unlawful campaign by officials in the US government to deny my right to seek and enjoy this asylum under Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." International human rights groups have supported Mr Snowden since he fled the US and revealed the existence of a secret surveillance programme known as Prism. Sergei Nikitin of Amnesty International, who was in the meeting, said his organisation's position on Mr Snowden was that it was "his right to distribute this information [on US surveillance], and he attracted attention to human rights violations by the United States." Due to the possibility that he would be tortured in the US, "Snowden should not be given to the US authorities." However, Mr Nikitin conceded that there was a limit to what human rights agencies could do for Mr Snowden other than publicising his case. "We cannot provide aeroplane tickets and do not arrange visas," he joked. The inclusion of Russian-based non-governmental organisations will also put a focus on Russia's own dismal human rights record. Most of the human rights groups invited to attend have been subject to searches and raids by law enforcement agencies in recent months, and told to comply with a new law requiring them to register as "foreign agents" or face punishment. Amnesty's offices were searched in March and in May Mr Nikitin was summoned for questioning by prosecutors. He said: "Clearly the atmosphere [in Russia] is very unfriendly towards human rights organisations, but for Amnesty International in Moscow, bearing in mind this fact, this hasn't changed our approach to fighting human rights violations wherever they are."