Amnesty International: USA must not hunt down or prosecute whistleblower Edward Snowden [View all]

[Catherina]

24 June 2013
USA must not hunt down whistleblower Edward Snowden

The US authorities must not prosecute anyone for disclosing information about the government’s human rights violations, Amnesty International said after Edward Snowden was charged under the Espionage Act.

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"No one should be charged under any law for disclosing information of human rights violations by the US government. Such disclosures are protected under the rights to information and freedom of expression," said Widney Brown, Senior Director of International Law and Policy at Amnesty International.

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The organization noted that an individual cannot be extradited while they have an asylum claim under way in any country.

"Regardless of where Snowden ends up he has the right to seek asylum. For such a claim to succeed, he must demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution. Even if such a claim failed, no country can return a person to another country where there is a substantial risk of ill-treatment,” said Brown.

“His forced transfer to the USA would put him at great risk of human rights violations and must be challenged.”

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/usa-must-not-hunt-down-whistleblower-edward-snowden-2013-06-24

Edit to add the poster Amnesty just tweeted out