‘Emotional’ meeting for Snowdens

VLADIMIR RADYUHIN

The father of U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden had an “emotional” meeting with his son, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported on Friday.

Lon Snowden met his son hours after arriving in Moscow from the U.S. on Thursday, Interfax said, without revealing the exact time or the place of the meeting.

“The meeting has already taken place. It was very emotional,” the news agency quoted an informed source, who said further details would not be given for security reasons.

Mr. Lon Snowden said he last had direct contact with his son in April, before he fled to Hong Kong and then to Moscow.

Mr. Ed Snowden has been living at a secret location in Russia since he received temporary asylum here two months ago after spending five weeks at a Moscow airport with his U.S. passport revoked.

His Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, said on several occasions that his client feared for his life and had hired bodyguards.

According to him, Mr. Lon Snowden would later give a press conference where he would speak about his meeting with his son.

Earlier, Mr. Kucherena had said that when the two Snowdens meet they would discuss, among other things, Edward’s plans for employment.

“Edward has practically run out of money and is keen to get a job in Russia,” Mr. Kucherena said, adding that he had received “very many” offers of employment.  

On arrival in Moscow, Mr. Lon Snowden had said his son was unlikely to return to the U.S. and Russia was the safest place for him at the moment.

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