Lawyer Rejects Rumors Snowden Applied for Asylum in Switzerland

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Edward Snowden has not applied for asylum in Switzerland, the whistleblower's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, said Monday.

"Speaking at a teleconference with Geneva, he [Snowden] said he had a nostalgia for Switzerland, he has good memories of this country, where he once worked. But this does not mean he addressed Swiss authorities with an application for asylum," Kucherena told RIA Novosti.

Snowden could not apply for asylum in Switzerland as Washington is looking for a chance to bring him back to the United States, Kucherena said. According to the lawyer, Snowden needs guarantees of an impartial trial in the United States.

Last week, speaking at a video conference held in Hanover, Germany via a video link-up the whistleblower said it is highly unrealistic he would receive a fair trial under current US law.

Snowden is wanted in the United States for charges of espionage and government property theft. In 2013, Snowden leaked information about US authorities' surveillance operations on US citizens and foreign leaders. The revelations sparked controversy both in the United States and internationally.

In August 2013, Russia granted Snowden asylum and later a three-year residency permit.